Twenty Years After
by AmazingGraceless
Summary: "The war is only just beginning and I am not the Last Jedi." Twenty years after Luke made his prediction at the Battle of Crait, the war is still raging on. The First Order rules over the galaxy, but the Resistance is still daring to fight the Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. Little do they know that the children of the Last Jedi (who's keeping many secrets) are heirs to an empire.
1. Rebel Yell

Rey stood atop the old temple atop the highest hill on Upahatu, scouting the early morning sky. She held a commlink close to her face as she waited for Poe's voice to come over.

Three X-wings had been lost in the first successful mission in a series of thirteen. But now Menlo V was freed from the First Order, joining the small coalition of planets that remained free of an Imperial shadow. They were known for their forging and ships— not as good as Corellia, of course, but they were still renown— and could easily replace their ships.

Besides, the First Order was having a fairly easy time replacing the ships and personnel as it was. They didn't need Menlo V to help.

Now Rey was waiting for Poe to return with what was left of the Black Squadron, and return with any extra intel, including confirmed deaths. There was one name that she always braced herself to hear— but she knew, through their connection, that she never would.

Twenty years had passed since the death of Supreme Leader Snoke on the Supremacy. Rey remembered Leia telling her that it was only the beginning of the war. Some, like Finn and Rose, had hoped that Snoke's death would've spelled out the end.

Rey knew that Ben wouldn't give up so easily. But the Resistance wouldn't either. And neither would she.

The first steps were hard. She needed a last name— so Skywalker was the one Leia chose for her. The logic was simple. Let them think she was his daughter, his lost heiress. Then it was searching for the true Force-sensitives— not frauds, or fools with delusions of grandeur.

But somehow, she'd grown a Jedi Order out of nothing— with the occasional advice from Leia and the man she would always be connected to. The Gray Order of Jedi Knights was the key to winning the war— or so she'd thought.

Four years of fighting had passed, when Rey's faith finally broke down. It was a mission to Jakku, to Niima Outpost.

Instead of the weary junkyard, Niima had actual buildings, and Unkar Plutt was no longer in charge. There was even an electrified fence surrounding the place, keeping it safe from marauders.

It was safe, and wealthier than it had ever been. Rey sat atop the AT-AT crying. He had seen into her mind, and had fixed everything broken about Jakku. The rest of the Resistance had already gone home as she watched the sun set over the Giant's Graveyard, so when the twilight bathed everything in its rosy pink light, she was alone.

She was alone when she felt his shadow, like a blazing fire and torrential downpour at the same time. It reminded her of her days on Ahch-To, when she was still learning so much about herself and the world.

But he was so much more than that.

It wasn't through their connection— they had happened to be on the same planet at at same time, and their gravity pulled them together.

The encounter left Rey with what would form into a scar nine months later on her stomach, when her twins were removed via C-section.

Ever since then, Rey had her doubts about destroying the First Order. But she never thought about them too long. It didn't matter what she thought. It was her promise to Leia that kept her fighting.

"Sunshine, this is Black Leader, we should be coming in. Over."

Rey fumbled with the commlink. "This is Sunshine, I hear you Black Leader. The strip is clear and ready. Over."

Just as she clicked off the commlink, she saw the X-wings stream in, led by a particularly beat-up ship. Rey groaned. Poe always damaged his X-wing in his impatience to win the day.

She started down the tall rocks that formed the stairways all around the base. Below was a freezing desert, but within the rock formations of Upahatu, there were pools of water with fish and the like within, and several caves that made a great place to build a base. There was a large cave much lower than most where the X-wings would land.

Rey had designed the closing doors, and improved on the principles of the blast doors on Crait. With a little help from Rose, of course.

* * *

When she entered the hangar, she saw Rose directing X-wings into their spray-pained boxes. Other technicians were running around to prep the sites. Rey stopped by her old friend.

"Mission was successful— but we lost three fighters, and we have a typical Dameron on our hands," Rey said.

Rose looked to the Jedi Master. She still wore bangs, but they had grown a slant to her right. Her hair had grown quite long, so that she braided it back. But Rey had seen her hair down, and it was in black ringlets now.

"Of course," she muttered. "At least we're getting Menlo V, right?"

"Yes," Rey said. "We'll get a bigger fleet, thank the Force."

"That reminds me, the Wraith Squadron sent in intel, Finn wants to discuss it with you," Rose said.

"I'll talk to him," Rey promised. "Remind Poe to write a briefing tonight."

"I will," Rose said. "I'll— HEY! THAT DOESN'T GO THERE!"

Rose ran after a technician, leaving Rey standing there. Seeing all the X-wings fly in was a sight unlike any other. It still amazed her, seeing them all come home, with more scars in their skin and dents in their ships, but all alive and laughing with camaraderie only found on the battlefield, or the grim silence of a flee that had spent all their chances.

But she was Rey Skywalker to everyone else, and she had more important things to do than sit and watch the ships go by. That was her life on Jakku, and that had passed long ago.

* * *

Finn was always found in the support room, with several empty mugs of caff littering his desk, and had tired circles under his eyes as he analyzed the blue and green holograms, deciding the next strategy to employ against the First Order.

He'd grown his hair out, and dyed three streaks red. It was a display of defiance, that he was not the First Order's anymore. His jacket was the same one Poe had given to him, with the stitching up the back from his famous duel with Kylo Ren. Except now, that jacket had more patches and new stitches over two decades.

He now stood over a schematic of the past battle, watching what they had done versus the First Order. It was recreated using trackers within the X-wings. His dark eyes were intent on analyzing the mistakes they had made— especially the ones that had led to three people dying.

"Finn!"

Finn turned away from the schematics table to see his best friend. "Rey!"

He embraced her, just as he always did. Then they separated.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Rose sent me, she said Wraith Squadron had intel," Rey said.

He suddenly became serious. "Right, I do."

"What is it then?" Rey folded her arms over her chest.

"You have to understand, Nell Lanni and Deak Adsj were in a bad situation," Finn said. "They were briefly in the middle of enemy territory, in interrogation rooms."

"Did they give over any secrets?" Rey asked.

"No, thank the Force," Finn said. "In fact, they escaped. But they had help from a stormtrooper initiate. An initiate who came with them."

"I see," Rey said. "You want me to interrogate him. Or her."

"Him, but there's a little more to the situation," Finn said. "He opened the door with his mind, according to Nell and Deak."

"He's Force-Sensitive," Rey realized.

"Most likely," Finn said. "We put him in an individual cell so that if he's a Knight of Ren or a spy, he hasn't seen much of the Resistance Base."

"I understand," Rey said. "I'll be right there."

She hesitated a moment.

"Oh, Jacen and Jaina are watching Saoirse and the other kids in the playroom," Finn said.

"Oh, thank the Force," Rey said, a smile emerging on her face again. "I'll go meet the agent then. May the Force be with you."

Finn nodded. "And also with you."


	2. The Ebon Hawk

All of Jaina's life had been spent on the planet Upahatu. She became very aware of this as she watched Saoirse Stormbreaker run around the play ship, the _Ebon Hawk_ and slide down a slide.

The playroom was a medium-sized area with a play ship area, and several toys and holo-games that members of the Resistance had donated from their childhoods to ensure that the children of pilots and Jedi had a place where they were out of the way and unburdened.

Jaina had spent so much time in the _Ebon Hawk_ with her brother, as they pretended to be pilots or adventurers like in the animated holo-dramas they watched. She knew every detail of the piece, like she knew her brother's soul. It was all written over her heart.

She glanced over at her brother, who was using his new birthday gift of an advanced stylus to draw something on his holopad, which had been brought back from the brink of death no less than thirty-eight times.

"Whatcha doin'?" Jaina asked, peering over his shoulder to look.

He shrugged her off. "None of your business."

"Come on, Jaysa, I know you aren't looking at anything naughty on the HoloNet," Jaina said as she punched Jacen's shoulder lightly.

Jacen rolled his eyes and stepped slightly to the right, to step away from his sister. Jaina briefly tripped, and glanced over at the playground. Saoirse had taken the gunner position on the _Ebon Hawk_ and was pretending to shoot at TIE-fighters.

"Fine," Jacen said, thrusting out his holopad. "I'm working on my journal of zoology and botany."

"Of course you are," Jaina laughed. "I like the nexu, it looks really realistic."

"I keep seeing one in my dreams," Jacen admitted as he retracted his holopad.

"Really?" She became serious. "So the creepy old guy. . ."

"Oh, he was still there too," Jacen said. "Was he in your dreams?"

Jaina shuddered. "Always."

For the past three years, Jaina had dreamed of an ancient wrinkled and scarred visage, whispering in her dreams— among other nightmares. He wasn't always there, but when he was, he merely lurked in the background. There were all sorts of things, he seemed to bring. Images of war, fire, pain, and desolation.

Sometimes she could've sworn she'd heard his voice before— but those memories seemed unreal. She wasn't even sure if they ever happened at all.

She looked back to Saoirse. She remembered being a misbehaving little miscreant, hogging everything and being wild. Of course, she loved the look when a parent dragged her around, looking to complain, only to find that they were talking to the Last Jedi.

She'd grown out of that, naturally, and the memories made her both smirk and flush red in mixed pride and embarrassment.

Luckily, Saoirse was the opposite of the type of kid she was. The girl was a bit too quiet for her own good, and was always playing alone.

But she didn't mind watching the daughter of her mother's best friends. It was something to do, especially since Rey had yet to assign a Jedi master to either her or Jacen.

"Who do you want for your Jedi master?" Jaina asked her twin.

He looked up, already having been immersed in his drawings again. "I don't know. Mum will give us whoever she thinks is best."

"But if you could choose?" Jaina asked.

"Elora Daan," Jacen said immediately. "I know she's Tash Arranda's master, but she knows so much."

"You'd probably get into like, fifty more philosophy debates in a day," Jaina teased.

"I want to make sure I'm using my powers responsibly," Jacen said, shrugging again. "You're the one who studies all that history— you know what happens when it goes wrong."

"Like with Kylo Ren," Jaina snarled.

It was his fault she'd grown up in a war, that she'd never known peace. His dark reign stretched across the galaxy, and had killed the Jedi Order and the New Republic. He was one of Luke Skywalker's students who had betrayed him.

She grew up despising the Supreme Leader's face, so much she wanted to scream when she saw him on the news holos.

He was even worse than Darth Vader, in Jaina's opinion. At least Vader became good in the end. There was no such redemption for Kylo Ren. Sure, some planets said they were better off under Imperial Rule. But how much of that was the truth?

Jaina was certain that he was actually terrible— why else would there be a Resistance?

The commlink tied to her wrist began to beep.

"Yes?" Jaina asked.

"I need Jacen to come to the prison wing," Rey said. "Jaina, you should stay with Saoirse."

Jacen looked slightly alarmed. "What am I doing?"

"I'm going to teach you something your father taught me," Rey said.

Jacen and Jaina exchanged a wide-eyed stare. Rey rarely mentioned their biological father. They only knew that his first name was Ben and a few trivial facts. He supposedly was a Jedi. But Rey said he was dead.

"I'll be right there, Mum," Jacen said. He shoved his stylus and holopad into Jaina's arms. "Thanks, sis!"

"Wait!" Jaina whined.

But Jacen had already made his escape.

Jaina sighed, and exited his journal files. She at least could play a game with Saoirse, since she knew the kid liked drawing.

Saoirse had left the _Ebon Hawk_ , and now was sitting in front of the large screen with holo-dramas for children. Jaina sat down next to Saoirse, and looked at the bug-eyed animated characters.

"I like this one," Jaina said. " _The Octave Stairway_ was my favorite when I was younger."

"I prefer _The Black Bantha_ ," Saoirse said. "Garik Loran is dreamy."

"You're _six_ ," Jaina chided. "And it was made to make the Empire look good."

Saoirse shrugged. "I like it. And it's better than baby stuff like _The Octave Stairway._ "

"I see," Jaina said. "Do you want to draw?"

Saoirse didn't hesitate. "Yes please."

Jaina handed over the holopad and stylus, and opened the drawing app. She then looked up to _The Octave Stairway_. She wanted adventures like the ones Brin and his friends had in the show. She wanted to be a hero, like Jyn Erso, Luke Skywalker, or her mother.

But Rey had allowed Padawans that were younger than them to begin their training. Tash was the same age as them, and she had started her apprenticeship with Elora Daan two years ago.

 _It isn't fair,_ Jaina thought miserably. _Even Jaysa gets to go be a rebel hero before me_.

That was when she heard a little voice from her dreams.

 _She is afraid of you outshining her, and cannot see that you are not a child anymore_.

Jaina looked around— the room suddenly felt colder.

 _That's not true, she tried to tell herself—_ but it was unconvincing. The little voice was right, she thought.

How could she prove to her mother that she and Jacen weren't just kids anymore?

Then she had it.

 _We could build lightsabers,_ she thought. _Then she'd know we're ready._


	3. Kyp Durron

Jacen straightened the strap of the bag slung around his shoulder and body, and tightened the small knot keeping his jacket around his waist. It was a hot day on Upahatu, and he had rolled up the sleeves of his tunic and loosened his belt to allow for more air.

Because so much of the rebel base was open to allow for the X-wings and other ships to come and go, and have hiding places, they did not have air-conditioning in many parts of the base.

The prison wing was one of those places without air-conditioning, and it was sweltering. The cells themselves, however, had tiny fans and vents to keep the air circulating.

Rey was in a cell at the very end, in the heart of the rock formation— farther from the few prisoners they did have. Jacen frowned. Why would they put him so far away from the guards?

Jacen approached his mother, who stood outside of the cell. Her arms were folded over her chest, and she leaned against the rock wall.

"What's up, Mum?" he asked.

"I know you've got a little more interest in uses of the Force, and you're better at reaching out than Jaina is," Rey said. "I want you to reach into the mind of the boy in that cell."

"Why?" Jacen asked. "You told me I needed to stop looking in other people's heads for as long as I can remember. You said it was an invasion of privacy."

"You and I both know there are exceptions in every rule, and we need to make sure he's trustworthy," Rey said. "We don't know yet if he is a Knight of Ren."

Jacen glanced inside the cell. A boy with sandy hair wearing the under-clothes to stormtrooper armor sat on the cot, staring at the wall blankly with dark green eyes.

"He has the Force?" Jacen asked. He couldn't sense anything from the boy.

"I couldn't sense it either, not at first— I thought the Wraiths were mistaken," Rey admitted. "But I tried to probe him, and he gave a reaction."

"What?" Jacen stumbled back. "What kind of reaction?"

"He's guarded himself so well that when I probed, he physically threw me back in the Force— he seemed to not know he could do that, and apologized," Rey explained.

"Oh," Jacen said.

"But you're more powerful than I am," Rey said. "You might have an easier time getting in."

"Fair enough," Jacen said, which was a phrase he used when he was about to do something he didn't want to do against his better judgement.

Rey, sensing his reluctance, placed a hand on his shoulder. "I have faith in you. And if anything happens, I will be right here. You know I'd die for you?"

"You would for anyone," Jacen said, shifting uncomfortably.

"But I wouldn't hesitate for you or your sister— I'd hesitate for the rest of the

galaxy," Rey assured him.

Jacen chuckled, despite his unease. "Just give me a minute. I'll do it."

"Thank you," Rey said.

He pinched the bridge of his nose before sliding his hand down to cover his mouth as he looked to the stalactites. He breathed in sharply and closed his eyes. This didn't seem right— but if it was necessary for the war, then he had to do it, right?

Still, when he entered the cell, he was extremely uneasy— so much that the sandy-haired kid, about his age, looked alarmed.

"I need to look in your mind," Jacen said bluntly.

The kid shrugged. "I can't remove the shield, I'm sorry. I don't know how the Force works. I just know that the Knights of Ren and the Supreme Leader could never see inside my head, so I wasn't taken away like Zethes was."

"Zethes?" Jacen asked.

"My older brother," the kid said. "He was originally going to be a stormtrooper, too, after our parents died."

"How did they die?" Jacen asked, finding himself to be curious.

The kid's face hardened. "They were politicians who were protesting the First Order. So the First Order killed them. They say that they tried to save my parents from the fire, but I believe they started it."

Jacen concentrated— he sensed no dishonesty.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I can't imagine. . ."

The kid simply shrugged again. "It's why my parents have been fighting against them. So what if Kylo Ren made our planet more profitable, or stabilized some junkyard planet nobody dared about? They're still the Empire, as far as I care."

"No one here disagrees with that," Jacen said. "I'm sorry I have to do this— but can I try to pry into your mind?"

"I really would prefer that you don't, but if you have to. . ." the kid shrugged yet again, and Jacen privately wondered if the kid only knew how to shrug.

"Sorry," Jacen muttered as he reached out. The action was quick and simple, with no physical gesture to accompany it. It was as easy as breathing to Jacen. He and Jaina often did it to each other— to the point that sometimes, Jacen didn't know if he had thought or felt something, or if Jaina had.

Other minds were distinct, and felt different. He sometimes wrote verse about how people felt to him.

 _mother_

 _rey of light_

 _like the sunshine that falls_

 _to the earth in little drops_

 _of something better than rain_

 _something gold beneath_

 _a veneer of dust_

 _hiding the power of the dark side of the moon_

 _warm but threatening_

 _gritty but comforting_

That was his favorite. Yet as he reached out into the kid's brain, a verse came to him.

 _he is wind_

 _quick and almost_

 _invisible_

 _but he brings something strange_

 _something dark and wicked_

 _but he is honest_

 _he is Good._

 _why do i doubt?_

He sensed sincerity, and a general reassurance that he was telling the truth, but actual memories were stored far deeper, deeper, even a name—

 _Kyp Durron._

A name finally came to the surface, with an image of fire, of two boys on a waterworld, a family of four carrying banners into the streets, guilt and fear that already threatened to overwhelm—

Then he fell back into reality, and flew against the wall of the cell.

"Oh my gods!" Kyp jumped to his feet to help Jacen back up. "I didn't mean to, I—"

"I believe you," Jacen assured him as he took his hand. "It's all good. You're Kyp, then?"

"Yes," he said, looking a little more at ease.

"Jacen," he said. "Jacen Skywalker."


	4. The Cantina

_Where are you?_ Jaina thought at Jacen.

The response was instantaneous, as only thoughts could be. _I'll be at the cantina, with a friend._

 _A friend?_

 _Yeah, I'll tell you all about it later._

The image of a face flashed in Jaina's mind—a sandy-haired boy with dark green eyes and charming features.

 _Do you have a crush?_ Jaina teased. She remembered when she and her brother came out to each other the previous year. It was full of stammering and awkward pauses and looks— before they tapped into their bond, and realized the same truth for both of them. He liked boys and girls— she liked boys and girls.

It was as simple as that.

* * *

Inside the cantina, Jaina approached the counter to the kitchen to receive her daily lunch. The cantina had tablecloths that were made by some of the pilots and mechanics when they sat around and waited for missions.

Assorted Jedi, pilots, mechanics, and operatives sat about, enjoying a nice meal illuminated through the skylight with a working mechanical roof— also designed by Rose and Rey.

The current attendant was a four-armed dark purple alien with a feathery short fur attached to his body. He moved quickly, handing Jaina her tray of food and refilling her canteen with water.

The food had been grown in the agriculture room in one of the most protected rooms on the base, besides the archives and panic rooms. Jacen in particular liked helping cultivate plants for food for the various species on the base and for animals used as livestock.

Jaina didn't have much patience for that stuff, but she was happy her brother liked it so much. It kept him out of her hair.

She left the line, looking for her brother.

"Hey, Jaya!"

Jaina turned to see Jacen sitting at a table with some new boy, and Tash Arranda and Elora Daan. Jaina internally groaned as she came over.

 _That's not very nice._

She tried to hide her frown. _Get out of my head, Jaysa._

She could feel his presence withdrawing. Satisfied, Jaina sat down next to Tash, across from the new boy. She understood almost immediately why her brother had sent the image he did. New Boy _was_ pretty.

Her and Jacen met each others' eyes. She had inherited her mother's hazel eyes, while Jacen had dark brown ones. His face was more angular than hers, with a prominent nose. They both looked rather awkward through the initial stages. Only now, a year past fifteen, were they finally starting to reap some benefits from puberty.

"Hi, Jaina," Tash said eagerly. "How are you doing? I've been working on translating Jedi texts with Master Elora that Master Rey brought from the First Jedi Temple. I'm learning so much! Did you know that the Prime Jedi—"

"Is a figure still shrouded in mystery, but we're starting to get a breakthrough on these records," Elora said, her tone chiding. "We can't say much yet, since we haven't properly looked through everything. Hopefully, our archives will be as complete as the ones on Coruscant that belonged to the Knights of the Old Republic."

"Right, I forgot that we aren't supposed to say too much," Tash said, wilting at the slightest disapproval from Elora. "Sorry, Master."

"It's alright, Tash," Elora said. "I'm just happy that you're passionate about our history."

So am I, Jaina thought as she viciously stabbed the fruit on her plate.

"So, you're Jaina Skywalker?"

Jaina looked up to see New Boy watching her. She felt a strange ease, looking at him, as if they had met before.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm Jaina. What's your name?"

"Kyp Durron," he said, a smile on his face. "Jacen told me he had a twin sister."

"Yeah, she's alright," Jacen said, shooting Jaina a death glare when Kyp wasn't looking.

She let a roguish smirk fill her face— then covered her mouth with her hand. Her front teeth were still disproportionately large compared to the rest, and she still hated her smile because her teeth made it look stupid.

"Are you okay?" Kyp asked.

"Yeah," she said, searching for a way out of this. "I just bit my tongue, that's all."

 _Liar_ , Jacen thought at her.

Kyp looked to Jacen, and Jaina took the opportunity to stick her tongue out at Jacen.

"Anyway, Jaya," Jacen said, "Kyp's from Deyer, and he helped the Wraith Squadron escape a sticky situation. And he's going to be a Jedi, too!"

"Really?" Tash cried. "You're going to love it! Who's going to be your Jedi Master?"

Jacen's face fell.

 _You're really not going to like this,_ he thought at Jaina.

 _Who—_

"Rey Skywalker said she'd teach me herself," Kyp said, oblivious to the twins.

Jaina stabbed her nerf-sausage sandwich in anger.

 _She makes some new pretty boy a Jedi before us, her own children?!_ Jaina practically thought-screamed it, but her face remained mostly pleasant.

"Everything alright?" Kyp asked.

Jaina realized he could probably sense her distress. She smiled— _with closed lips!_ — and said, "Of course. I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about your adventure. You must've been so brave."

"Oh." Kyp thought a moment before nodding. "It was terrifying, and I wasn't thinking about being a hero or anything. I just didn't want innocent people getting hurt. But sure— if you guys want to hear it."

Jacen and Jaina both probably nodded a bit too eagerly than was necessary.


	5. Across the Stars

It was only when she shut the door to her room in her private quarters and locked it when she finally let it in. It was the tidal pull tugging at her from halfway across the galaxy.

Only now, that she was alone and weary, did she let him in. Instantly, she felt a warmth that could only come from Ben. She felt his touch, even if many suns and stars separated them. They didn't care. As far as they were concerned, they were always together in their lovers' darkness.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked.

Rey shook her head. "We took in a boy. Who helped the Wraith Squadrons. He was going to be a stormtrooper— you said you were done stealing children from their families, Ben."

He frowned. "Kyp Durron? Part of our welfare system is that children who are old enough who are abandoned in any way are taken into the Stormtrooper Academy until they're of age and can make the decision for themselves."

"He says the First Order burned down his parents' house," Rey said.

Ben frowned. "I remember that case. Someone committed arson, but it wasn't us."

"Then who was it?" Rey demanded.

"I don't know."

He hesitated. "Why is he important?"

"He's Force-sensitive—almost as strong as I was, if I had to guess," Rey said. "I agreed to train him."

"Yet you still won't train Jacen or Jaina," Ben said, something bitter about his voice.

"You know what I think," Rey said stiffly. "That's how Snoke got to you."

"Snoke was always there," Ben said. "But you're right— I didn't want to be a Jedi."

Rey smiled a little. "You said you wanted to be a pilot."

"Just like you told them I was," Ben said.

In planning for their unborn children, Rey remembered when they came up with her alibi— a man named Ben, a pilot from Chandrila, who was kind, quiet, and thoughtful. One of Luke's last students. A man who she never saw again.

Most of it was true— they never saw each other in person again after she sensed Jacen and Jaina growing in her stomach. It allowed her to share something about him with her children, without telling them the truth.

"Hold me," Rey said after a moment.

He obliged her, and hesitated before speaking. "I wish we could be together. That I could show Jacen how to wield a lightsaber, or take Jaina flying in the Falcon, like Han Solo did with me."

Rey looked to him with curious eyes. "You never mentioned that before. You don't mention anything good about your father."

"Because they were the only moments Snoke wasn't there," Ben said. "He didn't know about the shadows, the voice, any of it. Leia never told him. Every other part of my childhood was poisoned by him. But. . ."

There were tears in his eyes.

"I didn't realize how hard he was trying," he said. "Or how much he didn't know. Until it was too late."

"Oh, Ben," Rey murmured, reaching her hand up to his face, tracing the line where she had left her mark on him.

"I regretted it as soon as it all came back," Ben confessed. "My biggest regret is killing my father. If I hadn't done that, you would be at my side. We'd be raising Jacen and Jaina."

"But you've done so much good for the galaxy," Rey said.

His full lips twitched. "Don't let any of your friends hear you saying that."

"I promised Leia I would destroy the First Order— so I have to," Rey said.

"I know," he said. It wasn't the first time she'd told him this. Nor would it be the last time.

"It was her dying wish," Rey said, repeating her only justification for remaining on the side that she did. "I can't betray that, Ben. No matter how much I'd like to."

"I know," he said. "And I can't leave the First Order. Not after how much of my life I've put into changing it from within."

Across space and time, they held each other. They knew the rest of the world was against them. No one, not even their children, could know of their connection. But it was worth it, for the moments in their lovers' darkness.

"I should make them Jedi," Rey finally confessed after a moment. "I know I should train them. Especially Jaina. She wants to be one so badly. And Jacen loves exploring what he can do with his powers. He could use someone teaching him how to do it properly."

"Then what's stopping you?" Ben asked.

Rey hesitate. "I sense this darkness looming over them. I keep checking to see if it's Snoke, but every time I look, it's gone. Nothing beyond the normal shadow everyone has."

Ben frowned. "I've been sensing a darkness myself. I can't help but wonder if there's another player that's come up."

"I know what you mean," Rey said. "Everything has been far too still for a war. Something bad is coming."

"Shh," Ben said. "I only have a few more minutes. Let's not spend them talking about war. If you don't want to train the twins, you shouldn't. I trust you."

Rey smiled. "I love it when you say that."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Those words echoed in her head as they held each other. Then, in mere seconds that felt like a small, wonderful eternity, the connection shut off. He vanished, leaving Rey holding herself, all alone in her dark room.

That was when she heard the rapping on the door. She sensed the gentle rain of Jacen and the brilliant, blazing fire that was Jaina. Both halves of their father.

Rey forced herself to turn around and open the door to see an angry pair of twins in front of her.

"We need to talk," Jaina said.

"Now," Jacen added.


	6. Mirrorbright Lullaby

Jacen was getting angry, too, he had to admit. As much as he liked Kyp, he was still some new kid. He had been trying to figure out how to use the Force on his own for years because Rey refused to train either of her children.

When Jaina told him about her plan to go looking for kyber crystals, however, he insisted on one last intervention. To try and resolve this through communication before going to action. That was what Jedi were supposed to do, right?

He thought of the blue pointy-eared ghost that sometimes appeared in his room at night. He said all sorts of things like that, but in a weird way. Jacen preferred him greatly to the dark withered man that appeared in his dreams.

He forced the thoughts out of his mind and screwed his courage to sticking place as he and Jaina approached Rey's quarters. However, the door was locked, and all viewing portals were turned off. He and Jaina exchanged a look.

Then he heard it. A male voice in there. He couldn't make out what he was saying, but his incredibly single mother had a man in her room.

 _Thanks for sending me that mental image,_ Jaina thought at him.

 _Sorry, can't help it,_ he thought back, feeling a bit guilty. _Maybe we should go—_

 _NO!_

Jacen hands clamped his ears, but it couldn't block out the deafening sound inside his head. He admitted to himself that he should've known Jaina would be more stubborn.

 _I am NOT stubborn!_

 _Sure, Jaya._

 _I'm NOT!_

 _Are too!_

 _NOT!_

 _Are too!_

Before they could continue the argument, the doors to the Last Jedi's quarters, and Rey burst out, fully-clothed— Jacen couldn't thank the Force enough— with no lover in sight.

Jaina saw her moment and pounced. "We need to talk."

"Now," Jacen added, knowing his mother would try to delay the conversation.

Rey sighed. "Alright. Come in."

Jacen and Jaina exchanged a confused glance. They were sure they had heard a man in their mother's room.

But it was still an invitation to talk, and neither of them were going to turn that down.

Jacen and Jaina entered the room, and Rey flicked on the light, sitting down on her perfectly made bed.

"Sit," Rey said.

The two teenagers obeyed.

"Why is Kyp Durron being apprenticed to you when we haven't been apprenticed at all?" Jaina demanded.

"Because Kyp needs to be trained," Rey said. "You two still have some time."

"Then when?" Jacen asked, his voice calm.

"What do you mean?" Rey asked.

"When will we be ready to be Jedi, then?" Jacen asked. "When we're seventeen? Eighteen? Nineteen? Twenty-five?"

Rey sighed again. "When I feel certain you really want this life."

"Of course we do!" Jaina cried. "That's all I've wanted!"

"I remember when you just wanted to be an X-wing pilot," Rey said softly. "And your father was pushed into being a Jedi when he didn't want to and—"

She covered her mouth, and Jacen could sense her guilt. He couldn't help it. He was curious. She so rarely talked about her father. He wondered if he could see a face in her mind—

"No."

Her voice was calm, but he was physically pushed off the bed with the Force from hitting her mental shield so hard.

Jacen got back on the bed, and watched his mother fumble for her words.

"I'm not ready to talk about Ben," Rey said. "But I might. . . I might be able to make a deal with you both."

Jacen and Jaina didn't have to communicate in any way. They both were intrigued and ready to hear whatever it was Rey had to say.

"I'll let you train as Jedi on two conditions," Rey said. "One, you make your own lightsabers, and beat me in a match— working together."

"Deal," Jaina said in a heartbeat.

"Yeah," Jacen said. "There's something else, isn't there?"

"I'll tell you the truth about your father if you can prove that you can keep a secret," Rey said. "I'm going to tell you about a frequency I know, one that will gain you any ally in the galaxy. Leia taught it to me, so I'll teach it to you."

She projected the number in their minds— _218.7_

"If you can keep it a secret for at least two weeks, I will tell you who your father is," Rey promised.

Jacen's dark brown eyes widened. "Really?"

Rey nodded, and opened her arms. Both twins crawled over to let their mother embrace them like she did when they were little.

"You are getting older," she admitted. "I'll even take you to a special place."

* * *

All the light that his mother brought vanquished the moment the lights went out and he closed and locked his bedroom door. He threw his tunic to the ground and flopped onto the bed. Already, he felt the gnarled fingers reaching his back as he grabbed a blanket to try and shut him out.

" ** _Don't hide from me, little one."_**

The voice was cold, and sent chills down his spine. There was something undeniably ancient and dark about it.

"Go away," he said, sounding remarkably like a small child.

An evil laugh echoed through the walls, feeling like a hammer against Jacen's skull. His connection to Jaina was closed in this nighttime terror, and he couldn't even reach out to her for solace. He couldn't comfort her.

He lay there, unable to sleep as all sorts of visions and terrors came to torture him. All he could do was wait for the sun to come back, and with it, hope that things would get better.


	7. Kyber Hearts

Jaina sat up straight out of bed. She'd had another terrible dreams, with that voice in it. The creepy old man was lurking about in every disastrous scenario, whispering his cold advice and weird sayings.

 _Jacen?_

Her heart raced as she realized she couldn't sense her twin. She flew to her feet, despite being in an old, slightly-translucent tank top, and short hole-ridden shorts, and threw open the door. She ran to Jacen's door and pounded on it.

"JACEN?" She screamed in terror. She pounded it again. "JACEN, ARE YOU OKAY? OPEN THE DOOR!"

She rammed it just as Jacen opened the door, and the connection came flooding back in. Her inertia continued, so they both tumbled to the floor of Jacen's bedroom.

"What the kriff?" Jacen mumbled, half-asleep. "Jaya, what—"

Jaina got off from on top of her brother. "I couldn't feel our connection."

"Oh."

Jaina felt like they must not have connected back up all the way, because his thoughts were fuzzy. She couldn't read them— unless he was keeping her out on purpose?

"Jacen—"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Jacen said. "I usually can't reach you at night. Maybe the Force Bond needs to sleep too!"

Jaina decided to put aside her doubts for the moment. They had more important things to do.

"I'm gonna go back to my room and get dressed," Jaina said. "Then we can go and look for kyber crystals to make our lightsabers."

"Alright," Jacen agreed. "Meet you in five?"

"Or something like that," Jaina agreed.

Jaina returned to her room and shut the door behind her. She changed into a newer black tank top and a gray-green grease-stained flight-suit with plenty of pockets. She then rolled up the sleeves to her elbows, and put her silver blaster on her belt, along with her multi-tool. She pulled on her boots— a new pair, as a birthday present, although she didn't know who had bought them for her— and headed down to the main lounge room near where the Jedi lived.

To her surprise, she saw Kyp Durron sitting out there. He was lifting water out of a glass of water with the Force. His dark green eyes were entranced, fixed upon the water with a wonder that was foreign to Jaina.

She always knew the Force. He hadn't— so all his new abilities, she realized, were wondrous and a marvel to him.

"That's wizard," she said as she sat down next to him.

"What?" Startled, he turned to look at her, and the water hit his lap. "Kriff."

"I said that I thought what you were doing was really wizard," Jaina said, willing her cheeks to not turn red.

"Oh, thanks," Kyp said. "I'm still getting a hang on all this Jedi stuff. I've always been able to do weird things, but I didn't do a lot of it."

"So you don't know your limits yet," Jaina said. "I get that. I get the idea that you'll be a pretty powerful Jedi someday, just like Mum."

"You really think so?" His expression was earnest, and Jaina could sense that he wanted her approval.

"Of course," she said, trying to sound cocky and funny— not as awkward as she felt.

"I bet you've seen and done things more wizard than that," Kyp said. "You and your brother."

Jaina shrugged nonchalantly. "Jacen's done more impressive things with the Force. But Mum won't assign us teachers. . . Well, she will once we get a task done."

"What kind of task?" Kyp asked.

"Today, Jacen and I are going to make our lightsabers," Jaina said. "Then we'll have to beat Mum in a lightsaber duel working together."

"Wait, can I go with you?" Kyp asked. "I want to make a real lightsaber. I'll even help you practice with the fight. Stormtroopers are trained to use these electro-staffs— they're a lot like lightsabers."

"You'd do that?" Jacen asked as he approached the two.

"You heard that?" Kyp seemed somewhat flustered.

"Jedi senses, Young Padawan," Jacen teased.

Jaina could sense Jacen's jealousy through the Force bond, but she couldn't help but flaunt it a little— she got to spend time with Pretty New Kid alone.

"So let's go find some lightsabers," Jaina said, getting to her feet.

"Do you guys want some help?"

Jaina, Jacen, and Kyp turned to see the source of the timid voice. Tash Arranda stood in the doorway of her bedroom, her braided Alderaanian hairstyle airtight and her Jedi tunic and robes crisp and neat— as always.

"Hey, Tash," Kyp said, smiling from relief.

"Hi, Kyp," she said. "I just thought— since I know where the kyber crystals are on this planet, I thought maybe I could help you guys find your lightsabers."

Jaina bit her lip. It made her angry that even Tash had one before they did, and that there would be a tagalong. But she felt sorry for Tash. The girl was really nice, and she did mean well, even if she was a goody-goody and had been apprenticed before her.

She heard the voice of one of the ghosts she'd known for most of her life. _Jaina, let go of your anger._

"Sure," Jaina said, faking a smile. "The more the merrier!"

Jacen gave her a bewildered look, but she ignored it. _She can help us, Jaysa. And we need to be nicer to her._

 _But do you think Mum might've wanted us_ _to_ _do it without_ _help_?

Jaina shrugged. _She didn't specify, so…_

"Come on," Kyp said, standing up. "Let's go."

* * *

Jaina took out her personal speeder, a four-seater she built from scrap around the base, and followed Tash's directions from the passenger side. In the back, Jacen and Kyp were discussing some Force philosophy or another. Jaina tried to ignore how cozy they were both getting.

The desert below the rock-structures was freezing, but the nightly layer of ice had melted during the sunrise. The shadows of Upahatu loomed over the speeder as it headed towards where Tash directed.

"Here," Tash said, pointing at the towering rocks, which were gray, startling against the reddish brown rock of the desert and other formations.

"Whoa," Kyp said. "Why's that one different?"

Jaina felt a coldness radiating off of it.

 _The dark side._

"Something's not right," Jacen said aloud. "Tash, are you sure—"

"Yeah," she said. "I remember."

She absently touched the handle of her lightsaber.

Jaina lifted her speeder, and landed on a precipice on the structure, next to an entrance into a cave with glimmering jewels within.

"Come on," Jaina said, leaping out of the speeder. She peered into the caves, at the strange patterns of colors of the glimmering gems.

 _Jaina, turn around._

Jaina frowned when Jacen thought that at her. Still, she turned around and gasped.

A fleet had appeared, of shining silver ships that were beyond what even the First Order had.

"Into the caves," Tash said, her timid voice now certain. "We can look for your crystals and hide."

All four teenagers fled into the caves.


	8. A Fleet From Nowhere

By the time Rey had awakened, the twins were already gone from their rooms. She decided she would go down to the cantina and get some actual food. But when she reached into her bag to hook her lightsaber on her belt, she saw her commlink beeping furiously.

Curious, Rey took the commlink out and hit the receive button.

"Sunshine, you need to get down to command now!" Poe Dameron yelled.

"Sorry," Rey muttered. She threw it back in the bag, and sprinted at top speeds to Finn's office.

* * *

Rey skidded to a stop right as Kaydel Ko Connix crossed her path, carrying a tray of caffs for all of the top people in the Resistance. She had brought one for herself, as well.

Kaydel had become the most politically-apt member of their team, adept in negotiation and having the benefit of being known as Leia's protege politically across the galaxy.

"Sorry Rey," she said. She still sounded at least somewhat cheerful, so Rey was hoping whatever had prompted an angry and yelling Poe Dameron would at least be bearable.

"It's alright," Rey said. She approached the command table, where Finn was analyzing a holographic of a fleet of shining ships.

"Good, you finally joined us," Poe said, clapping Rey on the back.

"What's the situation?" Rey asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

"This fleet just showed up, and we don't know where it came from," Finn said. "That isn't a First Order fleet."

"No," Rey agreed. "And we've been very careful to not let the First Order find us here."

And Ben would never do this. He knows his children are on this base.

"We're going to try to contact whoever's on that ship and see what's going on," Finn said. "Poe is going to get our fleet ready for evacuation, if necessary."

"Do you want me to be the face?" Rey asked.

"Please," Finn said. "You're the Last Jedi— the last student of Skywalker, at least. That has to mean something to these people here."

"I'm ready," Rey said, tying part of her long dark hair back into a bun atop the rest of the dark waves. She then straightened her gray vest and plucked at the fabrics wrapped around her body. "Prepare the transmission."

"On it," Kaydel said, sitting in front of the most advanced transmission station the Resistance had.

They waited for the signal to boot up, and held their breath in anticipation.

Then appeared an old woman, who was rather lovely in appearance, covered in jewelry and all sorts of finery.

"Am I speaking to the leader of the Resistance?" Her accent was unusual and her voice was haughty and clipped.

"One of them, yes," Rey said. "I am Rey Skywalker, Grandmaster of the Gray Order of Jedi Knights. I am a leader within the Resistance. Who are you?"

The woman gave a pretty but still angry frown. "I am the Queen-Mother Jocasta of Hapes, and I will not speak to a mere small leader. I wish to speak to the leader of the Resistance."

Finn reluctantly stepped forward. "Grandmaster Skywalker, General Dameron, and myself are the leaders of the Resistance."

"Fine, then I shall speak to you three," the Queen-Mother said, pursing her lips painted blue-green.

Poe stepped into view of the transmission equipment.

"The Hapes Consortium would like to meet the new Jedi and the key leaders of the Resistance," the Queen-Mother said. "During a luncheon aboard my personal ship, if you will. I have a proposition to discuss, one that may end the wars that have plagued these stars for four generations now."

"When would you like for us to arrive?" Poe asked.

"Later this afternoon," Queen-Mother Jocasta said. "My grandaughter and heir, Princess Maia, will be waiting for you in the loading dock of the biggest of our ships, the _Prince Isolder_."

"We cannot wait to make your acquaintance," Finn said. "Thank you, Queen-Mother."

Something twinkled in the gray eyes. "I like this one."

The transmission ended, leaving the entire Resistance in silence.

"I don't like this," Rey admitted. "This deal is too good to be true."

"But they are clearly powerful," Poe said.

"We have to meet with them," Finn said. "They're too powerful."

"Let me think," Rey said. "I have to speak with an advisor of mine."

Everyone had learned by now that Rey had advisors she communicated with in the Force. They believed, however, that she was speaking to ghosts in the Force. No one knew that the advisor was secretly the leader of the other side.

 _I have to speak to Ben. This could change everything._

With that, Rey left the command center.


	9. Luke's Compass

Once they had run deep inside the cave, the group of four Jedi halted.

"What was that?" Kyp finally asked.

"I don't know," Jaina said. "I don't recognize this kind of ship."

"What do you think they want?" Tash asked.

"I don't know," Jaina said. "But it's more important than ever that we all get our lightsabers."

"Then we can fight whoever's in that ship," Jacen said.

"We shouldn't jump to the conclusion that we'll fight them," Tash said with a frown. "That is not the Jedi way."

"I'm pretty sure that's how the Jedi have historically always solved their problems," Jaina said. "There's the Ancient Sith Wars, the Clone Wars, the Galactic Civil Wars— and Jedi were fighting in all of them."

"But they were orchestrating peace, and attempting to prevent those wars," Tash said. "But you might have a point. The First Order already has so many ships, all built so fast. Who's to say what this is going to be?"

"They have way too many ships, way too quickly," Jacen said. "They always regenerate like, the day after the battle. And it's twice as large."

"I don't understand it myself," Kyp admitted. "And I lived in the capitol. They didn't make the ships there. And they all looked different from the ones sent from the Corellian shipyards."

"Remember the kyber crystals?" Jaina said, tapping her foot impatiently. "We need to work with the problem in front of us first, or we're not going to make it to the next adventure."

"Right," Jacen said hastily. "Tash, how do we find the right crystal?"

"You'll feel a pull to it," Tash said. "You just reach out, and you'll feel it."

Kyp frowned, closing his eyes and reaching out his hand. "I feel it."

"You do?" Tash sounded surprised.

"Yeah," Kyp said. He stepped forward, eyes closed, into one of the branches of the caves.

"I'll go with him," Jaina said quickly. "You guys should go get Jacen's crystal, and we'll meet back here."

Jacen shot her a dirty look as Tash nodded, and eagerly pulled him down the caves to where they would hopefully find his crystal.

Jaina, on the other hand, happily followed Kyp into the caverns, keeping him from tripping over stalagmites, among other things.

He led them to a place with hot springs within, heating the otherwise cold room. Jaina spotted what Kyp had been sensing immediately. As if part of a shrine, there was a large lilac crystal glowing surrounded by duller clusters of a similarly-colored gem.

His eyes opened when his fingertips were mere centimeters from the stone.

"This is it," he said determinedly. There was something strange about his dark green eyes. He reached for the crystal and broke it off. That was when all of the other glowing stones went out in the chamber.

"I don't like this," Kyp muttered as Jaina fumbled around with her pack, looking for her multi-tool.

"Neither do I," she said when she finally turned on the flashlight part of her multi-tool. That's when she saw the white tail of some beast, flicking angrily. Slowly she raised her multi-tool to see a giant white worm or snake.

 _Jacen!_ she screamed in their Force-bond.

"What do we do?" Kyp asked, looking to her nervously.

"Give me a minute, I'm thinking," she snapped. _Jacen! White worm! Got any ideas?_

That was when she sensed a darkness around Kyp.

She heard an echo in the Force, words that came from some ghost— they always came to her that way.

 _The Force moves darkly around a creature about to kill._

"Wait—"

Just as she was about to put herself between Kyp and the worm, he raised his hand and clenched his fist. The worm writhed and made terrible moaning, choking sounds as the bones in its spine cracked.

"Kyp— stop!" Jaina cried. She pushed him over with the Force, right as the worm died. Kyp tumbled against the rocks.

"What the hells— what were you waiting for?" Kyp asked.

"For Jacen, I can contact him through our bonds," Jaina said as she came over to help him up. "He can tame nearly animal. He was going to tell me how to do it. If we can help it, we don't kill other creatures— innocent ones, anyway. Not without a good reason."

"It could've killed us," Kyp pointed out.

"But it didn't attack us," Jaina said. "The Jedi do a lot of fighting, but Tash was right— we're supposed to offer it peace first. But even if it didn't attack us, we wouldn't do what you just did. I have a blaster, you know."

"Why not?" Kyp was more curious than he was frustrated.

"Because Darth Vader did it," Jaina said. "That's a Dark Side power."

"So maybe that was what Kylo Ren did to my parents," Kyp realized. "I didn't know."

"That's why Mum is teaching you," Jaina assured him. "Because you just don't know all of this stuff yet. From what you've told me, it sounds like your powers have been dormant for a very long time."

"Probably because of what happened to Zethes," Kyp said. "He could do weird things, too."

"But don't worry, you'll learn," Jaina assured him. "Do you still have you crystal?"

"Yeah," he said, briefly tossing it in the air before catching it. "Would you mind not mentioning that to anybody?"

"Consider it done," she said without hesitation. "Come on, let's go find my crystal."

She closed her eyes, and immediately she felt the pull, and stepped forward. She touched a cold, smooth stone, and when she opened her eyes, she was standing in a cave with an entrance out onto a gray cliff. The setting sun illuminated a pool on the floor. Jaina stood over the pool, examining the figure depicted in the pool. He matched the general shape of the withered man she saw in her dreams.

"That was the Prime Jedi," a familiar voice said.

Jaina looked up to see Luke Skywalker. She'd seen his ghost occasionally as a girl, although she'd heard his echoes far more frequently."

"Master Skywalker," she said, bowing her head in respect.

"You remind me of your mother, Jaina," he said. "You have a very strong moral compass."

"I think it's important to know the difference between good and evil," Jaina said. "There's no excuse for evil."

"Be careful," Luke said. "Sometimes, there is a reason people fall. Sometimes good people are forced into situations where evil is their only way out. We all must figure out how to navigate the Gray."

"Is that why we're the Gray Order?" Jaina asked.

"Yes," Luke said. "Take this. It'll be important."

He pressed a compass glowing a dark blue that bordered on violet in parts of the crystals into her hand.

"Be careful, Jaina," he said. "Forgiveness is the most important part of being a Jedi. And we must remain careful to do what is right. Otherwise, it can cost us everything."

With that, Jaina's eyes flew open, and instead of a compass in her hands, she held a crystal that was the same color as the one in the compass in her dreams.

"Jaina, are you okay?" Kyp was right behind her, calloused hands on her shoulders.

"I'm fine," she said. "I got my crystal."

"You were in a weird trance," Kyp said. "Nothing could snap you out of it. You just stood there, holding the crystal and mumbling things."

"I guess I was having a vision," Jaina murmured. "I saw—"

She was interrupted by beeping from her commlink. "Yes?"

Rey's voice flooded over the small device. "Thank the Force. Are you and Jacen alright?"

"Yeah, we're getting our kyber crystals," Jaina said. "Is everything okay?"

"I need you back as soon as possible, you're all going to join us on a diplomatic mission aboard the big ships," Rey said.

"We're on our way," Jaina promised. "We'll be there as soon as we can."


	10. Princess Maia

Jacen was already impressed by the sheer size of the _Prince Isolder_. Only a few moments before, he and his sister had rushed back to the Resistance Base, kyber crystals in tow, and cleaned up for a luncheon aboard the strangers' ships.

It had been so quick, he could barely wrap his mind around it. Nonetheless, he stood at his mother's left, Jaina on her right, a few other Jedi behind them including Tash and Elora Daan, and Kyp bringing up the rear.

Several people dressed in white gowns stood in front of a cascading staircase that was a stark, sterile white. In the center of them all was a girl wearing a circlet with a rainbow diamond in the center and red curls in an elaborately-braided hairstyle.

 _She's cute._

Jacen realized with a start that the thought hadn't just come from him. It had come from Jaina as well.

 _This is getting embarrassing._ He wondered if the Force Bond was influencing their shared crushes. But he didn't want to think about that for too long.

"Welcome, Jedi," the girl said. "I am Princess Maia of the Hapan Consortium. I am happy to welcome visitors aboard the Prince Isolder."

Despite the dazzling smile, the girl's tone was flat and reminded Jacen of the voice AI Jaina had made once, and her accent was very strange. Jacen had not heard anything like it before,

"I am Grandmaster Rey Skywalker," Rey said as she approached the princess, and offered a sort of bow. "I lead the Jedi. These are my children, Jacen and Jaina."

The twins gave each other a look.

Seeing as you've been hogging Kyp, I'm taking this one, Jaina thought at Jacen.

He stepped forward, and smiled at Princess Maia, much to Jaina's discontent. Not knowing what else to do with princesses, he reached for her hand and kissed it. Princess Maia merely raised her eyebrows.

"Sorry, is that not what Hapans do?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," Princess Maia said. Her expression was outright icy.

"Sorry," Jacen mumbled as he stepped back.

"Don't be," Princess Maia said, relaxing her face a little bit. "It's vaguely charming."

It took every bit of composure Jacen had not to snort at Jaina's fury. But he wasn't sure it was that much of a compliment, anyway.

Jaina outstretched her hand to Maia's at the same time Maia did, so they ended up touching fingertips. Rey coughed into her fist, but Jacen thought it sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

"It's nice to make new friends and enemies," Jaina said with a cocky grin resembling old Rebellion heroes.

A slight smile came to Maia's lips. "I hope we can be friends rather than enemies."

Jacen blinked. Already, she was friendlier with his sister than him!

 _Maybe she likes girls, Jaysa. And only girls._

 _Fair enough,_ he conceded. He just didn't understand why nearly everyone liked Jaina better than they did him.

 _Be gracious,_ he chided himself.

Rey continued introducing the other people, and Jacen remained quiet. He couldn't help but keep stealing glances at Kyp and Maia. He had never been in the position of having two crushes at the same time, but nonetheless it was slightly alarming for him.

"Follow me," Princess Maia said, sounding robotic once more. She turned, flipping the white cape part of her cloak over her shoulder with her curly red braids.

Jacen glanced at the guards they passed, women dressed in white hooded robes with weapons strapped to their backs.

 _Isn't this great, Jacen?_ Jaina grinned at the warrior women she was seeing, even though she knew none of them would give a sixteen-year-old the time of day.

 _I guess._ He actually felt a bit uncomfortable looking at hot people older than him.

Princess Maia did not turn around once as she continued forward down the white empty hallways of the Hapan Fleet.

Jacen frowned. Something was off about the place— he could feel it. While he couldn't quite place his finger on what it was, it was definitely something in the Force alerting him to the change. Rey was listening intently to something Maia was saying, and Jaina was marveling over the technologies, some moments she'd shared with Kyp in the caves, and how pretty all the women they had met so far were, but his mind was starting to clear.

Maia turned a corner, and a small figure barreled into Jacen. He quickly sat up, seeing a new red-headed girl in the white guard kneeling over him as she collected up several datapads she had dropped, as well as old flimsi-style books.

"I am so sorry!" she said. Her dramatic inflection was a welcome change from the more robotic and monotone inflections of Princess Maia.

"It's all good," he said as he grabbed some of the books scattered around him and got to his feet.

"I should have seen you coming, I technically should just wait until your tour is over— sorry, Your Highness—" her gray eyes flicked over to Princess Maia, whose cold green eyes remained expressionless on the female guard.

Jacen handed her her books. "What are these texts?"

"I'm afraid they aren't terribly intellectual," the girl said, blushing. "They're old novels from the Old Republic Era— including a few romance novels written about the Jedi."

"Do you like them so far?" Jacen asked.

"I do." Her gray eyes flicked to Princess Maia. "I have to go."

Jacen turned as she walked past him. "Will you at least give me your name?"

The girl stopped in her tracks and whirled around. She hesitated a moment. "Freya D'Arctan."

"Jacen," he said, giving her a nod.

She smiled, giving a dimple to her freckle-splattered cheeks.

"Are we done here?" Princess Maia sounded furious when Jacen looked back to her.

"Yes, sorry," Jacen said, feeling his cheeks flush red. Rey beckoned for him to get closer to him as they continued walking.

"That was nice of you," she whispered.

He shrugged. "It was an accident."

"I'm still proud of you," Rey said.

She pulled away from her son as Maia stopped abruptly in front of two doors. She clapped her hands, and two guards pulled open the doors to reveal Queen-Mother Joacasta sitting at the head of a white table, surrounded by a representation of what Jacen assumed was scenery from the Hapes Consortium.

Princess Maia turned around. "I will seat you, so we may talk."


	11. Armistice

Rey was directed by Princess Maia to sit down on the right side of the Queen-Mother Jocasta. Jaina took the seat next to the princess, and Kyp Durron next to Rey. She recognized the insult in seating Jacen so far away. By interacting with the guard girl, he had greatly displeased Princess Maia.

She didn't say anything yet, partially because she did not understand the full capabilities of Hapan technology yet.

 _I wish Rose were here_ , she thought as she looked at the recreation of a beautiful meadow planet around them in the dining room. If she didn't know that she was in a ship, she would've been convinced that they were dining in Hapes.

If left to their own devices, she, Rose, and Jaina would already be in the engine room, analyzing and dissecting what made all of this work.

The food was good, though. If there was one thing that Rey could appreciate, it was good food. Even decades after leaving Jakku and putting a few healthier pounds on, she still held some habits that were because of her starving formative years.

Food had become important to her. She learned to cook with Finn from Rose and Poe and Kaydel, and took pleasure in learning as much as she possibly could. She'd try just about anything, and saw bad food as an ultimate betrayal.

"We have already reached out to your associates in the First Order," Queen-Mother Jocasta said.

Rey spit back into her drink from shock. "They are not our associates."

"Well, then, your equivalents," Queen-Mother Jocasta said.

"It was much simpler with the First Order," Princess Maia complained. "They had only a few leaders. We've already talked to the Resistance leaders, but now we need to talk to the Jedi. They just had a Supreme Leader who covered both."

"That can be dangerous," Sorscha Martigan called from down the table. She was one of Rey's more feisty Jedi, a green-skinned girl with hair dyed a great many colors.

"Well, Kylo seemed to be a perfectly charming man," Queen-Mother Jocasta said.

It took everything Rey had not to snort. She loved the man, but he was more socially-awkward than charming in any way. It was a miracle that Han and Leia had produced such an un-charismatic son.

Kyp, on the other hand, felt like a wind gathering the conditions to make a tornado beside her. Jaina gave him a pointed look, and Kyp calmed slightly. But there was still a fire in his emerald eyes.

"Kylo Ren is a monster," he said with the same conviction that Rey had two decades prior. But what almost broke her heart was the way her two children nodded and agreed.

That was a major part of why she never had told them. But they were doing well with her little challenge of keeping a secret. She would have to sit them down and explain the truth about Kylo Ren.

Would they even look at her the same way, once they knew? Would they ever learn to see their father as anything other than a monster? Ben Solo had once lost his way, but he'd found a path to goodness now, as unconventional as it was.

Rey still wasn't sure what she believed about government and all of that. Not after all the good Ben had done. She remembered the tales of Palpatine, and how a cruel sovereign was terrible— the galaxy still felt the echoes of that for nearly half a century now. But many of the planets in the Republic were monarchies, if democratic ones.

Perhaps a similar situation could be set up in the First Order?

She felt keenly the ache that had been with her since she'd visited Jakku again for the first time. She wanted to be by Ben's side so badly. But it wasn't what Leia wanted. The promise on Leia's deathbed still haunted her.

"I am afraid that you are mistaken," Princess Maia snarled.

Rey gave Sorscha a warning look, and her eyes returned to the royals. "We have our own negative experiences with the First Order."

"That surprises me," Queen-Mother Jocasta said. "Kylo Ren especially had good things to say about the leader of the Jedi."

Rey frowned. "I can't imagine what."

"He said that you were a cunning warrior and incredibly loyal to your friends," Queen-Mother Jocasta said. "It almost sounded like he knew you more than just as a mere enemy."

Rey decided that this conversation had gotten far too real, especially as Jacen and Jaina gave her confused looks. She raised her glass again to drink as she shrugged. Of course, this was the moment when their bond seized her.

Instead of Jaina sitting in front of her, she saw Ben standing. She stood abruptly.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I need to use the refresher," she said.

One of the guards came to her side. "Down the hall, Grandmaster. Take a right."

"Thank you," Rey said. She headed exactly where the guard said, and locked the refresher door before facing Ben. "You have great timing. Why did you say those things to the Queen-Mother?"

Ben frowned. "What sorts of things?"

"All that kriff about me being a cunning warrior and a good and loyal friend," Rey said, folding her arms across her chest.

"I didn't say that," Ben said. "I think someone in the room is Force-sensitive, though."

"And you didn't think to tell me this?" Rey hissed.

"Not every Force-sensitive is aware of it and taking the thoughts of others!" Ben protested.

"So level with me," Rey said. "Who do you think it is? Because they told Jocasta."

"Jocasta isn't," Ben assured her. "But it's not Maia, either. I didn't get a good feel for the guards. I'd bet anything that it's one of them."

"I might have to agree," Rey said. "I need to get going."

"You know where this is going, don't you?" Ben asked.

"An armistice," Rey said. "It's obvious, if they've talked to you. They want some sort of armistice between us."

"Rey, we could be together in a year or two," Ben said, reaching for her hands. "The Hapans could allow us to be a family."

"Ben, we have to be sensible," Rey said. "I want this, don't get me wrong, more than anything. But I made a promise to Leia. And I don't trust the Hapans. Something's off."

Ben was silent for a moment. He bit his lip. "I know. But I just want to look away, if it'll bring us together. Dammit, Rey, we've been apart too long."

"I know," Rey said, wanting to cry. "You think I don't want you to be with your children? That I don't want this damn war to end? Of course I do! But I don't want to trade out one war for another."

Ben swallowed, looking almost to tears himself. "You're right."

"But we can work together, from both sides," Rey said. "And if the Hapans really are bad news, like I suspect, we can work together to defeat them."

A smile emerged on Ben's face. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Rey was smiling herself. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

When she left, she noticed that the Queen-Mother was looking at her funny.

"Sorry, I took longer than I expected," she said. "I assume you're here to offer an opportunity for an armistice?"

"Yes," Queen-Mother Jocasta said. "We'll host a ball in five days' time on Hapes. We will host both factions in the galaxy and come to an agreement."

"What do you want in return?" Rey asked.

"Nothing!" Princess Maia cried, scandalized. "We are doing this out of the goodness of our hearts!"

"Although we would like to establish trade routes with this galaxy," Queen-Mother Jocasta admitted.

"Well, I can't wait," Rey said.

Everyone stared at her, shocked.


	12. Sword of the Jedi

"I can't believe her," Jaina fumed. She sat with Kyp, Jacen, and Tash, as she and the former two worked on building their lightsabers. "She's always been promoting democracy, saying that we have to fight the First Order. She said she's willing to die for that cause!"

"I don't understand it either," Jacen admitted. He was adding a ringed piece to the bottom of the cylinder that had spiked fins off of the end. "The whole thing was weird."

"Kylo Ren cannot be negotiated with, he murders political opponents like my parents," Kyp said as he screwed on a guard for his hand. "The Hapans are idiots if they were fooled by him for a moment."

"Did you ever meet him?" Jaina asked, curious. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It curled oddly, unlike the rest of her hair.

"Twice," Kyp said. "The day my parents died, he was at the fire, acting like he'd saved me and my brother personally. But I knew better. He also oversaw my evaluation into the stormtrooper program, me and my brother's."

"What was he like?" Jacen asked.

Kyp shrugged as he added buttons to the small control panel on the side. "Quiet. Very quiet. Ominously so. He was unpredictable, too— like a raging wildfire even rain couldn't put out. He felt a little like Jaina does, in the Force."

"What?" Jaina sat up straight, alarmed.

"But not quite the same," Kyp said decidedly. "He also felt like a thunderstorm, like a torrent of rain. And your fire is a little different, Jaina. It's more. . . controlled. And it's brighter than his ever felt."

Jaina relaxed slightly, but the comparison still made her feel uneasy. Some in the Resistance were against the Gray Order because of what terrible things happened when they went dark. Jaina had feared as soon as she was old enough to understand that danger, that she would go dark like Kylo Ren or Darth Vader.

That was a large part of her dedication to learning about her history, about Darth Vader. She wanted to understand what had led to the man's fall, so she could never follow his path, and keep Jacen, if she could help it, from falling, too.

She looked over the cylinder she had developed. The wiring, the mechanics, all of it was placed together perfectly and instinctively. It would be easy and intuitive to use, Jaina could tell with her design. She just had to add one thing— her crystal.

She pulled it out of her pocket, and placed it into the cylinder. It clicked into place, and Jaina hit the button to turn it on. A blade of pure light appeared. Jaina stared at it, mesmerized. She couldn't quite decide if it was blue or violet— it was some shade of indigo, in-between.

Tash clapped.

 _Show-off,_ Jacen thought at her. Jaina stuck her tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes.

"Very mature," Tash said.

"Oh, come on, I've seen you with Zak," Jaina said, referring to Tash's little brother. "You act the exact same way!"

"Actually, I haven't for quite some time," Tash said, flattening her bangs. They looked like the tall grasses Jaina had seen in holos of Dantooine. "We've both grown up. We have to. It won't be long before either of us can fight in this war as Jedi Knights."

"That's the only good thing about this armistice," Kyp grunted. "If it goes through, no one will have to fight anymore."

Tash shrugged. "Not for us Jedi. There's always problems in the galaxy we'll have to solve."

"I suppose that's true," Kyp said.

"Just a sec, I think I've got it—" Jacen stood, lifting his new lightsaber. An emerald-green blade emerged, looking nearly identical to Luke Skywalker's. That was an heirloom that Rey kept in her room, with other things she had stolen from Ahch-To after Luke Skywalker died.

"Nice," Jaina said. "We can now duel Mum, and be Jedi."

Just like we've always wanted.

Naturally, that was when they heard the lightsaber sound behind them. Jacen, Jaina, and Tash turned to see Kyp activate his own purple lightsaber.

"Why is it so long?" Tash asked.

Kyp shrugged. "I think the crystal was bigger than most."

"It's not that long," Jaina said with a frown. "Besides, we need to go meet Mum."

"Fine." Kyp turned off his lightsaber.

* * *

Rey was waiting in the training room, with her saber-staff strapped to her back. She wore her gray training pants with the padded knees, a black tank top, and no bindings on her arms, revealing their muscles. Her hair was tied back into three buns, a familiar hairstyle to Jaina. She wore it herself when she was really little.

"I see you made your lightsabers," Rey said as she pulled the old metal staff off of her back. "I'm interested to learn what your instinctive fighting styles are. Although I'll admit, I'm not going to make winning easy for you, just because you're my children."

"Fair enough," Jaina said. She'd been watching duels with awe her whole life, reenacting them with brooms or long sticks or even wrenches against hapless punching bags or the air, or even her brother.

"Ready when you are," Jacen called out as he stepped into the ring. He threw off his jacket and bag. Jaina untied the jacket tied around her wrist, and unzipped her old jumpsuit to reveal her tank top, tying the sleeves to keep her jumpsuit from slipping further, and tied her hair back in a loose ponytail.

She was proud to notice that Kyp was staring at her bare shoulders and muscular arms. Then she turned to Jacen, making eye contact. He understood without a word or neat thought, just an emotional impulse. Their bond already felt so much more open, like they were one.

In sync, they raised their lightsabers and flicked them on. Rey turned on the dual blue blades and spun her staff as a warm-up, then held it out.

"You did put those on training mode, right?" Rey called out.

"Yes, Mum," Jacen said as Jaina rolled her eyes.

"Good, I don't want anyone getting killed," Rey said.

Then she strode forward, and twirled her blade in a wide arc so both Jacen and Jaina had to hit it, locking the blades. With one sweep, Jaina ducked and rolled, and raised her saber to strike from behind as Rey pushed Jacen to his feet with the Force. Rey then whirled around, striking with her saber.

Tapping into their bond and the Force, Jaina jumped inhumanly high, over the two whirling blades. Jacen got up, and blocked a strike headed his way. Jaina's landing was a little unsteady, and she had to duck beneath the blades, feeling the heat just in front of her nose.

Jacen then fell back, and Jaina turned off her saber. She then summoned her brother's lightsaber and her own, causing them to fly through the air, blocking Rey's blows in successive loops before returning to their owners hands.

In perfect sync, tapping into their bond with one another in the Force, they struck with such force that the saber-staff went flying out of Rey's hands. It landed on the floor on the button that turned off the blade, rolling and displaying some new scuff marks and a new dent on the once-shiny metal.

Rey clapped as Jacen and Jaina deactivated their sabers. Jaina stood there a moment, overwhelmed by the clarity and endorphins caused by the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

She wanted to feel like this forever.

Jacen then hugged her, and she hugged him back.

Rey embraced them both. "I'm so proud of you! You're working together so well!"

"Will we be Jedi?" Jacen asked.

"A promise is a promise," Rey said.

Jacen and Jaina shared only one thought, one feeling, as their eyes met— triumph.


	13. A Face in the Dark

Rey told them she still needed to find masters for them but she would do it. Still, the victory rang hollow for Jacen when he went to bed that night.

He closed the door, turned off the light, and didn't even bother to take his clothes off. He didn't care, he wouldn't be getting any sleep anyway. He set the lightsaber on the bedside table.

 _Maybe I could—_

It was a desperate thought, one he kept shielded from his sister in that inner layer where their most private thoughts went. There were levels of opennesss in their bond.

He could sense that Jaina was asleep— the bond often was at its most restricted when either of them were sleeping. But he could always sense her there, feel her general aura. She was his sister, and she would always be there.

He couldn't imagine how she must've felt, feeling their bond gone that morning. When he had awakened, it was still cloudy and restricted, but connected. It wasn't until he lay in the bed, anticipating that horrible ancient voice that he realized a truth.

Someone had interfered with his bond with Jaina.

 _You have your own path to take, little one. She is too impulsive, too absolute to follow the path you must, my child._

Jacen grimaced as he felt a long spindly finger stroke his spine. He forced himself to reach his hand from under the blanket, and summoned his lightsaber to his hand. He just heard a chilling cold laugh, and he turned around, turning on the saber.

It cut through a ghostly figure of a wrinkled man in a golden robe, cutting him in half.

Jacen let out a little shriek of terror as the wrinkled face grinned as it toppled to the ground. Then the corpse vanished. He forced himself to get out of bed and grope around in the dark to make sure that it was truly gone.

Then he felt something push him to the ground.

He reached for his lightsaber, which clattered as it rolled off, but before he could, he felt an enormous bony foot push him flat into the ground, digging into his spine.

"I cannot be defeated by a mere glorified flashlight," the wrinkled man said. "Your father made that mistake."

Jacen said nothing, struggling under the man's foot to try and get free.

A long mangled finger reached down to stroke Jacen's hair. The action made him involuntarily shiver. He squeezed his eyes tight, wishing it could be a dream. But the wrinkled man that had haunted his sister's dreams were now more real than they had ever been.

"I know you're curious about your father, young Skywalker," the wrinkled man said. "She lied to you your entire life about your father's identity."

"She didn't tell enough to lie!" Jacen protested.

"She told lies of omission," the wrinkled man. "But you shouldn't be too angry about your mother. She had to be creative and bold, creating those bits about a fictional father you never had. She had to, to hide what her children really were."

"She will tell us," Jacen said. "And you're wrong."

"Oh, child," the wrinkled man laughed. "You are just as naïve as your father once was."

Jacen gritted his teeth as the wrinkled man dug his bony foot deeper into his spine. He bit his tongue to keep from crying out. A tear went down his cheek, involuntarily.

The wrinkled man reached out and scraped the tear off of Jacen's cheek with his long fingernail.

"But you are weaker than even your father was, and his father before him," the wrinkled man said. "You'll never do. I'll have to teach you a few lessons."

"I'm not learning from you," Jacen protested, trying to get free again.

"I see." The wrinkled man stepped off of Jacen. "In that case, perhaps I should start with a free one."

He extended his clawlike hand, and Jacen went flying into the air as he felt the wrinkled man invade his mind, ripping past every mental shield to keep even the most primal of thoughts shielded. He felt excruciating pain in his veins, like it was in his blood, burning, boiling to get free.

But he couldn't scream.

Then he fell to the ground with a thud. Jacen felt an overwhelming sense of shame as he struggled to breathe. He was weak. He was pathetic.

The wrinkled man leaned down, and lifted Jacen's chin. "Open your eyes, you pathetic child."

Jacen's eyes opened anyway, and he shuddered at seeing the visage of the wrinkled man straight-on.

Then the man dropped him to the floor. Jacen just lay there, frozen in fear by the mere aura of the wrinkled man.

"Ah, child, you already have the clues as to who your father truly was," the wrinkled man. "Would you like to tell your sister the truth?"

Jacen couldn't even make a sound.

Immediately he saw images of the Supreme Leader from the HoloNet in his mind.

 _No no no no no._

Jacen felt so panicked he thought his heart would beat out of his chest.

"Kylo Ren is your father," he said finally.

"Your lying," Jacen said, despite knowing it was true. The words rang hollow.

The wrinkled man laughed. "Ask your mother. See if she is foolish enough to deny it."

"Don't insult my mother," Jacen snarled.

"Oh, I admire your mother," the wrinkled man said. "She has spunk."

He then reached a single finger to Jacen's forehead. "Now sleep. We have training to do."


	14. The Legend of Princess Leia

Rey knew her declaration of making it work wasn't very popular, even though Finn and Poe had come to the same conclusion when they were invited aboard the ship. She saw it even in her own children, in Kyp Durron.

She paced back and forth atop the stone structure the base was hidden in. Her thoughts raced in her mind beneath the starlight. Was she selfish for making that choice? For wanting her children to have a father? To have both halves of her heart together again?

But she couldn't shake the feeling that she was betraying Leia by making such a choice. She glanced up at the night sky.

On Jakku, the constellations were one of the ways people told stories. It was a source, an inspiration. It was on a starry night when Rey was fourteen that she first heard the legends of Princess Leia.

She was the Hutt-Slayer. Some called her the Mal'ary'ush— daughter of darkness. She was a queen to the galaxy, even if technically her kingdom was turned to stardust.

In some corners of the galaxy, Alderaan still appeared to be there. Jakku was one of those corners. It was strange to Rey, hearing about Princess Leia when she could still see the planet despite the fact that it was truly gone.

The light had not traveled the lightyears quite yet. Upahatu had something similar going on, but not quite the same. Instead of Alderann, Rey could see the explosion of Alderaan in Upahatu, a strange spilling of light in the cosmos.

"I want to do right by you," Rey whispered. "But I just don't know the right path anymore."

The stars merely twinkled above. Rey sighed. She knew that once she told her children the truth about their father, they would understand. They would understand her decision. It wasn't just about ending the war. It was about bringing her family back together, making the Skywalkers whole.

Loving Ben Solo was one of the most difficult things Rey had done. It had caused so much trouble, so many secrets and lies. Yet, it was the thing Rey regretted the least in her life, besides having the twins. He needed her. She needed him. And their children was evidence that they were meant to be.

Rey stared down at the desert that was frosting over. She knew she should go inside. Then she would at least feel like she was in Ben's arms— he had once said the same thing about her.

Even unconsciously, they were together.

Rey pulled her cloak more tightly around herself, and paused. She always kept reaching out to her children, just to make sure that they were alright. But now she sensed intense fear radiating off of Jacen. Much more intense than any mere nightmare.

Then a familiar presence washed over her. _Snoke is with him!_

Rey ran down the structure, and leapt down the elevator shaft, using the Force to slow her fall as she ended up on the right floor. She then dashed through security panels, her fingers flying. All she knew was that she had to get to Jacen _now_.

She headed to his door, and punched in the emergency security code. She ran in, lightsaber in hand, to see that no one appeared to be in the room, except for Jacen. She reached out to wake Jacen.

He woke with a start, screaming incomprehensibly. Rey placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

He regarded her with suspicion. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Rey asked, her heart picking up a few beats.

"That Kylo Ren was my father," he spat.

"I meant to," Rey said helplessly. "I promised you and Jaina that I would tell you your father, and I would have told you the truth. You're right, he is Kylo Ren. And I love him. But you don't know the whole truth yet. I mean to tell you that. I really do. But I need to know how you know."

There was a hollow look in Jacen's hazel eyes as he gripped the blanket more tightly around himself.

"There's an old man, he's been visiting my dreams, severing my connection with Jaina," he admitted. "He just appeared and threatened me. Now he wants to train me in my dreams."

"You need to stay away from him," Rey said. "His name is Snoke. I don't know what he is, other than pure evil. He haunted your father ever since he was a child. I hoped that his ghost would stay dead and he wouldn't hunt you."

"The former Supreme Leader," Jacen realized. "The one you killed."

"The one everyone thinks I killed," Rey said. "Jacen, I didn't kill him."

"Then what happened?" Jacen asked.

"Kylo Ren killed the Supreme Leader, because he was hurting me," Rey said. "Your father loved me so much, he did the one thing he never had the courage to do."

"I'm not sure that I can believe that," Jacen admitted.

"You have a lot to un-learn about your father," Rey said. "He's not nearly the monster everyone—himself included— believes he is. But I'll tell you more once I tell Jaina. We need to talk about all of this, especially to protect both of you from Snoke. You may even need to hide with your father."

Jacen frowned, unsure of what he was hearing.

Rey sniffed. "What's that?"

"I think I, in my sleep. . ." Jacen trailed off, looking incredibly embarrassed.

"Okay," Rey said, forcing herself to be calm. "I'll strip the bed. You get in the fresher, put on the comfiest pajamas you've got. Then I'll make you some hot chocolate or caff, whatever you want. We'll figure out the rest of it from there, alright?"

"Alright," Jacen said. He bolted for the refresher, and Rey sighed as she peeled back the sheets. Parenting was the most rewarding thing she had done, but it sure came with its prices.


	15. The Princess and the Knight

Jacen was grateful just to have spent a few hours the previous night just talking with his mother as she explained what was going to happen next.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to tell Jaina," she said. "And I'll explain everything. I'm going to pass you off to your father while we're at the conference in four days. He has more experience with Snoke, and can help you in some ways better than I can."

He nodded, unsure about it.

"He loves you, too, Jacen," Rey added as she ruffled his son's hair. "Did you ever wonder where some of the more expensive gifts came from?"

"You mean Kylo Ren paid for my datapad and stylus?" Jacen raised an eyebrow.

"I've told him a lot about you and your sister," Rey said. "He really wanted to be here all this time, except. . ."

"Except for the war," Jacen finished.

"Yes," Rey said. She paused. "Do you want to be there, when I tell Jaina?"

"No," Jacen said. "She's not going to be happy. . . And I think she'll prefer it when you tell her, one-on-one, about all of this."

"I agree," Rey said. "In that case, l need you to do me a favor."

"What's that?" Jacen asked.

"The princess of Hapes wants to see you," Rey said. "I told Queen-Mother Jocasta it would be your choice. But I need someone to spy on the Hapans, someone who they actually like."

Jacen frowned. "Princess Maia totally didn't like me. You saw how she treated me."

"I'll admit, it doesn't make sense, but Jocasta said Maia liked you a lot," Rey said. "Can you do this for me, Jaysa? Can you spy on Maia, just hang around her and see what she says?"

"Of course," Jacen said.

* * *

That was why now he was walking up the loading ramp of the big Hapan ship. Standing in the entryway, surrounded by guards, was Princess Maia, this time in a green shimmering gown that accented her eyes and tiara nicely.

"Welcome back, Skywalker," Princess Maia said. "Follow me."

She led him deeper into the shining ship without another word. Jacen was unsure of what to say, or how he could possibly help spy on this princess. She was just so cold.

Then Maia led him into a room. "Announcing, the real Princess-Heir, Maia Djo."

Inside the room, the girl that Jacen thought was Freya D'Arctan rose, and gave a nervous curtsy.

"I don't understand," Jacen admitted.

"It is similar to custom in Naboo," the girl in the green dress said. "I am actually Freya D'Arctan. I am Princess Maia's decoy."

"Oh." Jacen's eyes widened. "That explains it."

"Go, before anyone sees," the real Freya said. She shoved Jacen into the room, and shut the door on the two of them.

The real Maia sat back down on her simple bed. She had programmed the room to look like it was sitting on a lakeside cliff full of wildflowers. Jacen sat on the floor, at her feet, not knowing what the customs were.

"Sorry about Freya," Maia said. "She's sometimes a little frigid. It's part of her—our— public persona. It's how we usually present ourselves as Hapans."

"Really?" Jacen said.

"Yes, because even on Hapes, there is a lot of backstabbing within the court, at least, until I become queen," Maia said. "The Queen-Mother has nothing to fear from her people. The people love and fear her, always."

"I see," Jacen said.

"Come, sit next to me," Maia said. She patted her bed and smiled wryly. "Unless you are afraid, Jacen Skywalker."

Jacen did so, and Maia smiled again.

"This is my first time away from the Consortium," Maia admitted as she looked down to the little paper craft she was making.

"Is that a Krayt Dragon?" Jacen asked, pointing at the craft. "The markings are spot on."

"You know what this is?" Maia was surprised.

"I've liked animals all my life," Jacen admitted.

"Well, I sometimes have quite a bit of free time, waiting for my stand-in to report so we can make decisions," Maia said. "I've learned to do things such as this with my free time. But enough about that. You are a Jedi, are you not?"

"Yes." Jacen reached for the lightsaber on his belt.

"Can I try it?" Maia asked. "I always wondered what a lightsaber was like."

"It's not a toy," Jacen warned.

Maia rolled her gray eyes. "I'm not a child, I'm not any younger than you."

"To be fair, I thought you were fourteen," Jacen said.

Maia sighed heavily. "I get that a lot. I've always looked much younger than I am."

"Alright," Jacen said, unhooking the lightsaber. "Just be careful with it."

"Thanks!" Maia lit up with a dazzling smile enhanced by Hapan beauty.

She picked it up, and ignited the blade. She gave a few elegant practice swings before turning it off.

"Nice," Jacen said. "Can I have it back now?"

"Why?" Maia teased.

"I only just made it, and I want to make sure that it still works properly," Jacen said. "I also don't want you cutting your own arm off."

"I won't," Maia said, and she ignited it again, now doing fancy swings and spins that only someone who had clearly practiced could have done.

Jacen was immediately head over heels. He forgot all about Kyp Durron as he watched the muscular Amazonian princess practice with his lightsaber.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked.

"I do fencing," Maia said as she turned off the lightsaber and handed it back to him. "It is extremely well-built. That is a fact."

Jacen smiled and hooked it back on his belt. Before he could continue talking to Maia, however, he heard a shout through the Force.

No, it was swirling anger and shock that was like a cloud, not forming coherent thought.

Jaina knew the truth now.


	16. Tash Arranda's Tale

Rey wanted to tell Jaina. She had sat her down in her quarters, and began as quickly as she could.

"Am I in trouble?" Jaina folded her arms across her chest.

"No," Rey said. "But you and your brother are in danger."

"What?" Jaina blinked.

"Jacen told me he was being visited by a scarred, disfigured man in his dreams," Rey said. "That he's been interfering with your bond. He threatened Jacen last night. Have you experienced the same thing?"

Jaina frowned. "I've seen him in my dreams. And my bond with Jacen was off yesterday morning, but he said it was just a fluke."

"You may have some protections or something that Jacen doesn't have," Rey said. "Or Jacen has been unconsciously shielding you. But you have seen him?"

"I have," Jaina said. Something shifted within her as she made a realization. "Why isn't Jacen in here?"

"Because we had a version of this discussion last night," Rey said. "But here's what you need to know. That old man is Snoke—"

"The old Supreme Leader before Kylo Ren," Jaina said. "I know about him. Came out of nowhere, is a major creep. You killed him."

Rey really regretted telling everyone that she did it. She looked down at her hands. "Yes, well, your father. . . Your father was haunted by Snoke since before he was born. Your father will know better than I will how to help you both."

"Wait, so we're going to meet him," Jaina said. "His name was Ben, he was a Jedi, and haunted by Snoke. . . So he's Ben Solo."

"What?" Rey had not anticipated this.

"Han and Leia's son who went missing when the academy burned down," Jaina said. "My history textbooks say that Kylo Ren killed him. But that's not true, is it? You found him, and you fell in love, and— and that's why he can't meet us! Because no one can know he's alive until the right time!"

A grin was spreading up Jaina's face. "We are Skywalkers! And Solos!"

"Wait, that's not quite—"

Before Rey could finish and let her daughter down gently, she heard her commlink beep. She cursed under her breath, and turned it on. Poe's voice came over.

"Sunshine, this is Black Leader! Come in! Story is down in the hospital wing with her Apprentice, and neither of them are looking too good!" Poe shouted.

Jaina's grin was wiped clean as she realized what was happening. Rey recognized the callsign.

"Coming, Black Leader," Rey said. She turned the commlink and looked to Jaina. "It's Elora Daan and Tash Arranda. They're in trouble."

* * *

Rey and her daughter sprinted into the medcenter, just as they wheeled in Tash Arranda on a medi-transport. She was missing half of her left arm, had a burn mark on her forehead near her hairline and down her leg, and was covered in grime, blood, and bruises.

"What happened?" Rey asked, following the girl. Tash was in agony, and awake.

"We were attacked," Tash said, her voice breathy and high-pitched, on the verge of whining. "The Knights of Ren came to Upahatu."

Rey's blood ran cold. No. They couldn't have. Ben would never let them. . .

Tash grabbed Rey's hand with bloodied fingers. "Please, I don't want to die. . . I think Master Elora's dead."

"It's going to be alright," Rey said. "No one is going to die."

She then extended her hand over Tash's forehead, just like Ben had taught her. Tash's eyes closed, and her breathing was much more steady.

"Thank you," one of the medics said.

Rey looked ahead, to one of the other medi-transports, this one with a sheet over the body. Tash was pulled into the operating room, and Rey and Jaina approached Poe by the other transport.

"She's not—" Jaina didn't finish her sentence as she eyed the shape of the body beneath the covered sheet.

"Dead by the time we got to them," Poe said. "The recovery squad is still retrieving the bodies of the Knights of Ren."

"Can I look?" Rey asked, nodding towards Elora's body.

"Of course," Poe said. He looked to Jaina. "Come on, let's go look somewhere else—"

"No," Jaina said firmly.

"Go with Poe," Rey said. "I'll be out in a little bit."

Poe smiled gratefully at Rey, and escorted Jaina out.

Rey pulled off the sheet. Elora was just as bruised and bloodied, but she had a stab wound through the heart. Rey re-covered Elora. She knew she would need to contact Elora's brother, her only remaining relative.

But she had something more important to do. She needed to find the so-called Knights of Ren. She had her suspicions about what they really were, but couldn't confirm until she'd seen the bodies.

She left the medcenter, to see Poe and Jaina standing outside.

"Where are they putting the bodies of the Knights of Ren?" Rey asked.

"They'll go mailed back to the First Order," Poe said. "They're in the morgue."

"I need to see them," Rey said.

"What for?" Poe asked.

"I have a theory," she said. "Come on, Poe, you know I wouldn't ask if I didn't really need it."

"I know," he said with a sigh. "Do you want Jaina with you—"

"If my theory turns out to be correct, I don't want her leaving my side," she said.

Jaina stood there, her anger building vaguely with her grief, like a cloud. Rey could sense it. Grief and anger were becoming mere vague feelings, not sharp, clear emotions and thoughts.

"I can't believe those monsters," Jaina said. "Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren deserve to die."

Her anger echoed out in the Force. Then, Rey made the decision she would regret the most. She decided that she'd let Jaina believe for now her father was a separate person from the man she hated.

"Poe, keep Jaina with you, and wait for Jacen to come back," Rey said. "Keep them with you until I tell you otherwise. Got it?"

"I've got it," Poe said. "Rey, what's going on?"

"I don't know," Rey said. "But I've got a bad feeling about this."

* * *

When she entered the morgue, she only needed to take one look at the bodies to know what was happening.

She knew by the robes, the rusted weapons, and the ancient masks that she wasn't dealing with the Knights of Ren. They were something else entirely, someone darker. Immediately her mind connected to the case of arson she learned about from Kyp Durron.

 _He thought they were the Knights of Ren, and they killed his parents to take him and his brother, but Ben said it wasn't them, they didn't know who did it,_ Rey realized. This and Snoke, while they weren't obviously linked, were happening too closely together for Rey's liking.

She needed to talk to Ben. _Now_.


	17. The Hapes Consortium

In the past four days, Jaina had only found respite in her traveling quarters. While packing and doing anything other than sleeping, dressing, or going to the fresher, she and Jacen were under the watchful eyes of Poe, Finn, Rose, or Rey.

Most often it was Poe, and they were babysitting little Saoirse Stormbreaker as well. As much as Jaina adored the little girl, there was only so much she could take, being constantly around a little kid, and no one her own age except her brother.

Tash Arranda was still in the medcenter by the time they boarded the transport to the Hapes Consortium. Kyp Durron was busy following Rey around, learning from her as her official apprentice.

That left Jacen, and he was acting strange the entire trip. Their bond was more restricted than usual. Jacen claimed no one was interfering, but Jaina thought it had to be Snoke. There was no reason why Jacen would be hiding from her. . . or was there?

Jaina smoothed back her hair as she looked in the fresher mirror. It was the first night of the conference. To celebrate, there was a ball, mostly to help get some friendly feelings in the air.

But Jaina hadn't unpacked at all, except for the garment bag carrying her jewelry. According to Rey, they would be meeting their father tonight, and would be going off with him so they could figure things out.

Jaina sighed heavily. She insisted on doing herself up for the ball, but was realizing that she had no idea what she was going to do with her hair.

Keep it simple, stupid, she told herself. She thought of Rey's usual hairdo, and decided on that. A bun keeping some of her fringe out of her face, and let the rest fall, wavy and pretty.

The hairstyle was done within seconds, and Jaina then turned to the garment bag.

Rey had picked out the garments she and Jacen were wearing, supposedly.

Jaina reluctantly unzipped the gown, and gasped. It was a simple silver gown, but it flickered like starlight, and was a strapless affair. Also in the pockets of the bag was a strap to hide her lightsaber beneath her skirt, a strapless bra, and a few pieces of jewelry.

"Thanks, Mum," she muttered as she put on the bra and the little strappy thing to put on her leg. She clipped her lightsaber to it, and then threw on her dress. She was surprised at how right it felt. She threw on the bracelet for her upper arm and a necklace made of stars. Then she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

It didn't seem quite like herself. She ditched the flats, instead putting on her boots, and her old leather fingerless gloves. Jaina grinned. That was more like it.

She dropped her luggage in her mother's room. Rey was not there, but she knew her mother was still making arrangements with their father.

She left the guest quarters of the Hapan Palace, and squared her shoulders and straightened her back as she sped through the gilded halls. The Amazonian guards were the only people in those halls, and the lights were out, except for the blue moon outside.

Standing outside the hallway was Jacen, with his hair slicked back and wearing a suit with a long jacket with Alderaanian symbols on it, and a matching starry shirt to his sister's dress.

"Mum still coordinated us," Jacen said, grinning.

"It's like we're five," Jaina complained.

"She probably wants to make it easier for Father," Jacen said.

"I can't believe we're actually meeting him," Jaina said. She felt as if her stomach was full of Alderaanian Moths. "He was a hero, Jacen. Ben Solo!"

Jacen blinked. "I-I guess you could say that. You're taking this very well."

"Why wouldn't I?" Jaina asked. Before Jacen could answer, however, Kyp Durron approached.

"You look nice," Kyp said.

"So do you," Jaina said, admiring his bottle-green suit that brought out his eyes.

"Thanks," he said, offering his arm to Jaina. She waved at Jacen and smirked before following Kyp out onto the dance floor of the gilded ballroom. A group of pretty male musicians in revealing clothing were playing on an elevated platform, while equally pretty male servants were going around, collecting drinks and handing out various luxury snack foods.

Jacen came in behind them, and immediately went off looking for someone.

Jaina looked to Kyp. "I like this song. Dance with me, will you?"

"My pleasure," he said, looking ecstatic.

Of course, naturally, the song ended. The male musician tapped his microphone. "Up next is a classic waltz, so partner up, everybody!"

"Aren't we lucky?" Jaina said, looking to Kyp.

"I'd say." Kyp looked out at the dance floor. His expression quickly morphed into rage. "I didn't realize he would be here."

"Who?" Jaina had to stand on tiptoe to see who he was talking about. Offering a hand to Rey to dance was none other than Kylo Ren. "That bastard!"

She wished her mother would punch him in the face, but she didn't.

"Come on, we can dance outside," Jaina said.

Kyp followed her out to the gardens. Like everything Hapan, they were exquisite, looking to be made of silver and gold. And they glowed in the dark!

"Much better," Kyp agreed.

They began to dance for a few paces, spinning awkwardly.

"Sorry, I'm not very good at this," Jaina laughed. "I'm not a great dancer, but it's still fun."

"I've danced with worse than you," Kyp said. "Someone could be the best dancer in the world, like Kylo Ren, but still be a terrible partner."

"You think I'm a great partner?"

Kyp started leaning closer, when they heard the door fly open.

Maia— Jacen had at least told Jaina about the switch— and Jacen were standing in the doorway, looking mortified. Jaina could've sworn she saw a lipstick stain on Jacen's neck, but couldn't see in the darkness.

"Sorry," Maia said.

Jacen seemed unsure of something. "Does anyone else feel that?"

Jaina closed her eyes. Then she felt it. A chill down her back, and the feeling that someone was watching. She hitched up her skirt, and freed her saber, igniting it. Jacen and Kyp did the same, surrounding Princess Maia, just as Freya D'Arctan emerged from the bushes, with several people in black, carrying red lightsabers.

"How lucky," Freya said. "You fell right into our trap."

Maia screamed.


	18. The Dark Waltz

Rey entered the ballroom as twilight descended on Hapes. She left Jacen waiting for Jaina at the doorway, and kept her senses trained on them even as she moved into the crowd of people.

Dressed in a sleeveless golden gown, some heads of Resistance members turned, but for the most part, she was plain, compared to the other Hapans. She also kept her eyes out for Ben. How she wanted to share a dance with him, to be public!

She'd already transferred the kids' luggage to the Supreme Leader's suite within the guest wing of the Royal Palace of Hapes. Rey sighed. Even though she trusted Ben, it was still nerve-wracking, letting her children leave her sight.

The longest she'd ever been away from Jacen and Jaina was a month. She didn't know how long this arrangement would last. Hopefully, if the war ended at this conference, she could go home with them all at the end of the week.

But that meant she'd have to tell Finn, Rose, and Poe.

She shook her head. She already planned to tell them that night. The most she had told them so far was that Jacen and Jaina were going to their father. But she hadn't yet told them what that would mean.

Then he caught her eye. He was wearing black— naturally, for when did he wear any other color?— and was surrounded by other Imperial officers. Their eyes met just long enough to acknowledge each other, and they both moved on.

That was when Rey heard footsteps behind her and whirled around to see Finn and Rose with their little Saoirse. They were all wearing matching purple outfits, and looked sickeningly adorable.

Rey smiled an knelt down in front of Saoirse. "That's such a pretty dress."

"Mommy picked it out for me!" Saoirse said. "We're all matchy-matchy! Watch me twirl!"

Saoirse then twirled around, and Rey clapped. "You look lovely, Saoirse."

She stood up, and saw that her daughter was dancing with Kyp Durron, and her son was dancing with the real Princess Maia.

She smiled. "They're getting so big. Where have the years gone, Finn?"

Finn shook his head. "I don't know."

"I'm going to go dance with Saoirse before I have to put her to bed," Rose said, as she took the six-year-old's hand and walked off.

Finn stood with Rey, observing the scene for a moment. "So, who is the lucky father?"

Rey bit her lip.

"Come on, tell me," Finn said. "I've wanted to know for years. You say they know now, the kids?"

"Jacen knows, Snoke told him," Rey admitted. "But Jaina only thinks she knows. She only has a piece to the puzzle."

"I see," Finn said. "Rey, you know I'll always keep your secrets, right? And I'll always love you."

"I know that," Rey said. "Even though just the thought of letting this secret go is just. . . Unthinkable. After seventeen years, it just feels wrong to tell anyone."

"Then don't say it," Finn said. "Point to him."

Rey hesitated before raising her index finger to Ben Solo's face.

Finn blinked and his eyes widened. "You don't seriously mean—"

"Kylo is their father," Rey said.

"Wow." Finn stood there a moment, speechless. "That explains a lot. I can't say it doesn't change a thing, but it doesn't change anything between us."

"Oh, thank the Force!" Rey said. She embraced him. "I'm sorry I haven't told you earlier—"

"It's alright," Finn said as he patted her back. "I understand. That had to stay a secret."

Rey broke away from him for a moment. "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how you, or Poe, or Rose would react. You guys are the only ones I've ever wanted to tell."

"We all would've accepted it," Finn said. "And you and I both know that Poe loves those kids. He wouldn't hold their father against them."

"And I was afraid you'd never see me the same way again," Rey confessed.

"I don't pretend to understand any of your decisions," Finn admitted. "But you're still Rey, aren't you? That's all that matters."

"Thanks, Finn," Rey said, grinning.

"Oh, kriff, I think he heard us," Finn said. Rey craned her neck to see what Finn was talking about.

Ben approached through the crowd, his eyes intent on Rey. He awkwardly avoided looking at Finn.

"General Stormbreaker," he said. "Grandmaster Skywalker."

"Kylo Ren," Finn said. "If you hurt either of those kids, I will never forgive you."

Ben looked to Rey.

"I told him."

Finn observed them. Rey's hazel eyes, so much like Jacen's, were focused and bright in a way he'd never seen, the expression on her face playful and yet yearning at the same time.

Whereas Kylo Ren looked like an actual compassionate human being.

"They're beginning a Waltz," Ben said, offering his hand to Rey.

"You don't mind?" Rey looked to Finn.

"I need to go talk to some other officials," Finn said.

Rey accepted Ben's hand, and followed him into the floor as the opening notes played.

"Are you ready?" Rey asked in a hushed voice. "You're going to be a real father to them now, just like you wanted."

"I know," he said, his expression grave.

"Jaina doesn't know yet that Ben and Kylo are one and the same," Rey warned. "Jacen knows, but it might be hard for her to listen to you. You're going to have to be patient. They've heard a lot from the base, and I could never filter all of it."

"I know," Ben said. "But I'm ready to help them. If Snoke is back as some sort of ghost—"

"Then you'll know what to do," Rey said. "If this works out, we could even work together on figuring this out."

"Would you abandon the Jedi Order like that?" Ben asked. "All that you've worked for?"

"For my family?" Rey raised her eyebrows. "Without question. But I was planning on mixing the Knights of Ren with the Jedi when this is all over. They're practically Jedi at this point anyway."

"That's true," Ben agreed. "But I want to enjoy this one dance with you. Stop thinking about tomorrow."

"I do too—"

Rey was cut off by a scream from the gardens. Rey pulled out her saber-staff from the back of her dress, where it looked like a decoration, and Ben pulled it off of his belt. Jedi and Knights of Ren and guards dashed out to the gardens.

By the time Rey got out there, Jaina and a few dead guards were lying there. Jaina was heavily injured and unconscious on the ground. Ben leaned down and picked up his daughter.

"She needs a medical transport immediately," he said, his voice cold and commanding.

"Where is my granddaughter?" Queen-Mother Jocasta wailed. The old queen dropped to her knees. Rey approached her.

"We'll find Maia," Rey promised. She looked around, before spotting some of her Jedi. "Look for the princess and Jacen and—"

She finally realized who else was missing. "And Kyp Durron."

Rey could only hope that her son would turn up a few meters away. But he didn't, and neither did Kyp, nor Maia.


	19. A Throne of Thorns

When Jacen awoke, he instantly realized something was wrong. Nothing about the room gave it away. In fact, the bed he was in was incredibly comfortable. But his body felt stiff, and he couldn't remember where he was before he woke up.

Then he realized that someone had changed his clothes for him, which made his skin crawl. And then he sensed Freya D'Arctan. He tried to sit up, but found he couldn't move.

"Ssh, don't move," she whispered. A grin looked eerie on her gravely beautiful features.

The memories of the previous night all came flooding back to him.

"Get away from me," he gasped. "I want nothing to do with you."

"Really?" Freya arched an eyebrow. "Well, we need to get you ready to meet Leader."

"No, no, get away!"

Despite Jacen's protests, she sat him up physically, and suddenly he felt his limbs beginning to work on him.

"I may have overdone it in my Force abilities," she said. "But this day will change everything. You're the heir to the Skywalker line, Jacen. You can pass down the name, and usher in a new era in which the Skywalkers will take what is theirs. This plan has been in action ever since we knew that Rey Skywalker had a child."

He frowned. "The hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Our Leader has created all of this for you," Freya said. "He restored Vader's Castle on Vjun, and he recruited the Hapans to help. The Queen-Mother made sure her granddaughter would be a worthy consort to the Heir of Vader."

"Maia was in on this?" Jacen raised his eyebrows.

Freya laughed. "No. The chemistry needed to arise naturally, the Supreme Leader knew this."

"Is she okay?" Jacen asked.

"She's proving to be resistant upon discovering her true purpose, but I took care of that," Freya said.

"Where's Kyp?" Jacen asked.

"He's undergoing reconditioning at the moment," Freya said.

At that moment Jacen heard a scream.

"Pay no attention to that!" Freya panicked immediately.

"Thanks, but I don't want any of this," Jacen said, and he quickly stood up, which made him dizzy. "Besides, if Leader's who I think he is—"

"You're turning down a castle, an army loyal only to you, infinite power, and a beautiful, intelligent, Force-sensitive consort to bear in a new line of Skywalker's?" Freya sounded outraged.

"Yes," Jacen said.

Then Snoke appeared, the wrinkled man that he was. "Leave us, Freya. I believe I need to teach our ungrateful prince a lesson."

Freya paled dramatically, and leapt to her feet. "Yes, Leader. I thank you for your mercy."

She bolted out of the room, and the Supreme Leader stared at Jacen with ancient blue eyes that were uncanny.

Jacen screamed, dropping to his knees as pain he had never felt before surged through his body.

Snoke just laughed cruelly.

He reached out to his bond with Jaina for some sort of comfort, but there was non. The bond was severed. He was alone. Completely and utterly alone.


	20. Whiskey Lullaby

When Jaina awoke, she felt still just as terrible as she did when she went out of it. She sat straight up, despite being covered in bandages and having wires hooked up to her, putting fluids in.

"Jaina, it's alright, calm down."

Her stomach sank as she recognized that voice from the HoloNet. She looked to her left, and saw Kylo Ren, the Supreme Leader of the First Order, sitting there. Her thoughts were a wild mess, driven to even more insanity when she realized she couldn't feel Jacen at all.

"Where is he?" Jaina demanded, "what did you do? I can't feel him anymore!"

"Who?" He was confused.

"My brother!" Jaina shrieked hysterically. She reached her hand up to her head, and smacked herself. "I don't understand it, we're always connected— I've never—"

"Jaina, stop." He grabbed her wrists before she could smack herself again. "This isn't your fault—"

"Let go of me!" Jaina screamed as she tried to twist out of his grasp. "You probably were behind that ambush!"

"Jaina, none of this is my fault either," He said, struggling to remain calm. "I've done many things, but I would never attack you or your brother—"

"Yeah right!" Jaina spat. She managed to yank her hands out his grasp. "I know you're a monster, Kylo Ren! This sounds exactly like something you'd do!"

"Jaina, you are going to hurt yourself," He said. "Just sit down and listen. I'm just asking for a minute. Let me explain everything, and then you can scream at me for as long as you'd like."

"No," Jaina said, resembling a toddler throwing a temper-tantrum.

He had to admit that Jaina reminded him a lot of him. He just raised his eyebrows. "Do you need for me to go get your mother?"

Jaina paled. "You got her, too? What, are you going to torture her until I listen to you—"

"I wouldn't do that either," he said.

"That's not what Uncle Poe said," Jaina said. "He said you—"

"Okay, Rey and I have a. . . complex relationship," he admitted. "But I would never hurt her now."

"Why should I believe you?" Jaina demanded. "Why should I believe anything you say?"

"Reach into my mind and pry," he said. "You can sense my intentions."

Jaina bit her lip, before doing so. There seemed to be no harm in what he was offering.

Then she saw it. He was telling the truth because he loved her mother, because he loved her brother and her. And just a little further revealed. . .

Ben Solo was her father.

So was Kylo Ren.

Ben Solo hadn't disappeared.

Ben Solo had become someone else entirely.

"Oh my God," she said aloud. "You're my father!"

"Yes," Ben said.

"Mum wanted me to go with you," Jaina realized.

"Jaina, trust me, I've wanted to be in your life for a long time now," he assured her. "And I'm trying to find Jacen now. I know you've heard a lot of things about how wicked I am. Some of them are true. But some of it isn't."

"I can't believe this," Jaina admitted.

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that the signs had been there all along. They all lined up perfectly to reveal the truth that she had been searching for.

Then she did something even she hadn't anticipated. She hugged her father.

"I forgive you," she whispered.


	21. Acolytes of the Beyond

Jacen was then lifted off of the ground by Snoke, onto his feet. He was standing upright, and looked as if he was in control. But he knew he wasn't. Snoke moved his body, keeping his tongue flat and his jaw clamped shut to prevent anymore outbursts as he forced Jacen to march down the staircase of the central tower of Vader's old castle on Vjun.

It was one of several estates that Vader had owned. The biggest and best was still in possession of Ben Solo on Mustafar. Jacen recognized the site from one of his sister's history texts on her datapad.

Snoke was now invisible, and Freya D'Arctan followed behind, appearing to have her red lightsaber ignited. Jacen could barely keep himself from spiraling into panic. An invisible man was floating him around like a puppet, and he was stuck in a strange castle surrounded by dark knights resembling the Knights of Ren.

But the Knights of Ren couldn't be behind this. Jacen knew that they were members of an organization founded by his father. And his father was supposed to help him with Snoke, not be an ally.

 _Unless this is all a trap. . ._

Jacen stopped in a grand foyer, with several black-clad men and women with red lightsabers stood. In the center, Princess Maia stood, her eyes on the floor, hands politely clasped, and dressed in an elaborate costume, with a fancy headdress with antlers and everything. There were so many details, Jacen knew he couldn't possibly take them all in without combing the dress, inches away from his face.

He could sense her fear, sense that she was being frozen into place, too.

Jacen swallowed, realizing he had control over his mouth again. "Maia? Are you alright?"

Her eyes flicked up to him and she said nothing.

"Maia?" His voice was softer.

"She is to be your consort, Skywalker," Snoke declared. "Pass on her Force-sensitivity and couple it with yours for the future generations of the Skywalker line. You will do great things in the name of Skywalker. Rule the galaxy, end all war, and create an order stronger than the Sith or the Jedi, or those pathetic Shadows of the Old Ways your parents run."

Jacen felt like he was going to be sick. "She's only sixteen. I'm only sixteen. That's disgusting!"

He then felt a slap on the face so hard that he fell over, onto the ground. No one else moved. Jacen felt as if he were trapped in a museum with statues only, or corpses. Like they weren't real people, the ones in front of him.

"You ungrateful brat!" Snoke screamed. Despite the ghost not being visible, it felt as if he were screaming into both of Jacen's ears at the same time. "Don't you understand what great things have been done for you? Are you willing to throw that all away because of your modern sensibilities?"

"Yes," Jacen said. "I never wanted to be a Knight of Ren! I don't want to rule the galaxy! I only wanted to be a Jedi because Jaina did! I'd rather be a pilot, or take care of animals for the rest of my life! I don't want your money, your crown, or your army!"

"It seems, Skywalker," Snoke growled, "that you do not have your priorities in the right place."

Jacen felt that horrible pain again, so terrible that he wanted to die right there. He wept and screamed for the fact that he didn't die right there. Still, none of the people, not even Maia, made a move, or even a single sound.

"Do you understand, my Apprentice?" Snoke asked.

"No," Jacen spat, as he shuddered on the cold durocrete floor of the Vjun Castle. "I'm not yours."

"You little fool," Snoke crooned, lifting Jacen up in the air again. "You belong to me, and you will do as I command!"

"Or what?" Jacen asked.

"Your consort will suffer the consequences," Snoke said.

"She's no one's consort," Jacen protested.

A single knight in black stepped forward, and ignited his red saber. Maia did not move or react at all.

"Wait, no, please, no, don't hurt her, none of this is her fault!" Jacen couldn't blink, couldn't shut his eyes. Maia's face was left free, and she looked to him in terror and began screaming herself.

"Jacen, no, don't let him do this!" she screamed.

Those were the last words of the Hapan princess. Her head fell to the ground as the glass antlers on her headdress shattered. The image was imprinted on Jacen's mind for all eternity.

"This death is your fault," Snoke whispered. "You couldn't be grateful, so you forced her to die."

Despite the logic and facts, Jacen felt something in his heart that couldn't argue with Snoke's words. He felt deep guilt and fear and anger and grief, all threatening to drown his soul.

Then Snoke slammed him into the ground, pulled him further off the ground, and slammed him again.

"Stand up, boy," Snoke snarled. "This is your army, the Acolytes of the Beyond."

Yet Jacen's army was as still as statues.


	22. The Last Foxtrot

Rey stood in front of her Jedi Knights that she'd taken with her to Hapes. They blinked at her, staring at her in disbelief. Sorscha Martigan glared at Rey with a look that could've killed her.

"You mean to tell me that you've been with the enemy all this time?" Sorscha's voice echoed through the empty conference room within the Hapan Palace.

"Ben Solo has never been our enemy," Rey said. "The Knights of Ren have not done the crimes attributed to them in the past two decades. There is another group that has been using their common traits to impersonate them. They've been burning places, stealing Force-sensitive children."

"That doesn't erase that the Knights of Ren are still the First Order's attack dogs," said one of the male Jedi.

"They were Luke Skywalker's last students," Rey said. "They helped give advice that created the Gray Order of Jedi Knights."

Uneasy silence hung over the room. Rey felt Ben's presence in the Force surrounding her, an unconscious act of protection. He was still at Jaina's beside, entertaining her while Rey did this. Her confession.

"Why are you telling us now, about all of this?" Sorscha asked.

Rey took a deep breath. She'd confessed one of the hardest parts, the Force Bond. But this was the secret she'd clutched so tightly to her heart. She struggled to make the sounds she needed to. She closed her eyes, and formed the words.

"Because Jacen was being threatened by Snoke," Rey said. "Snoke wants revenge. On Ben Solo. Because I didn't kill the Supreme Leader. Ben did. For me. Ben Solo is Jacen and Jaina's father."

It was like Alderaan had exploded all over again. There was shouting and whispering, and outrage flew everywhere.

"Do they know?" Siri Tachi, a practical blonde Jedi stood up as she asked the question.

"Now they do," Rey said. "Jaina found out just an hour ago. Snoke revealed it to Jacen five days ago."

"You mean to tell me that your children are heirs to an empire?" Sorscha Martigan yelled. "Why should we follow you?"

"I'm getting to that!" Rey barked. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to remain calm. "I will lead one last mission as your Grandmaster. After this, if you still want me to step down, I will."

Siri folded her arms over her chest. "What's the mission?"

"We're going where the kidnappers went," Rey said. "Snoke is going to be with them. His ghost has gained too much power. We need to figure out how to seal him away. We need to investigate the group impersonating the Knights of Ren. And we need to retrieve their hostages, Jacen and Princess Maia."

The outrage in the room went to silence. Siri looked about them, in dismay.

"You're going to abandon our master because of her compassion?" Siri demanded. She looked to Rey and saluted her. "I'll follow you anywhere, Lady Rey. Your compassion is to be admired, not shunned."

Siri then looked about the other Jedi. "You should be ashamed of yourselves! Look into your own hearts! Shadows are there, aren't they? Yet did Lady Rey turn you away? No, she helped you! She helped you find the light again! And she did the same for a man you thought a monster! On my planet, such kindness would be revered, not treated like a dirty scandal!"

Sorscha stood up. "You misunderstand so much, Tachi."

"Careful, you two," Rey warned, reaching for her lightsaber on her belt as the two women drew closer, their faces twisting into angry unrecognizable grimaces.

"Then explain it to me, Martigan," Siri said, her rather adorable face scrunched up from her building anger. Her tone was as cold as Hoth, despite the obvious anger.

"Tell me you haven't suffered under the First Order's regime!" Martigan yelled.

"I'm from Deyer, of course I suffered!" Siri yelled. "But I've been keeping up with the Holos from both sides! The First Order truly is changing under Ben Solo's leadership— haven't you seen that?"

"It hasn't changed enough," Martigan sneered. "Besides, no matter how benevolent a dictator is, he is still a dictator!"

"Maybe that's better than a Senate that is so busy playing childish games that it can't stop what's right in front of its nose until said nose has been broken!" Siri shouted.

"Both of you, calm down now!" Rey shouted, and she ignited her lightsaber.

Both women jumped, and separated. Rey put away her lightsaber.

"That's better," she said. "But we can fight about political ideologies once we've solved this crisis. I want everyone to change into practical clothes, get a quick meal, and meet back up in the Flight hangar with our shuttle. Ben can sense where Jacen is, and he said he's in Vader's castle on Vjun."

"Vjun?" Sorscha's green skin went pale. "The planet with the acidic rain?"

"The very one," Rey agreed. "So get ready. This is about to be a very long mission."


	23. Snoke's Curse

_Jacen was trapped. Stuck in a place between dream and waking, reality and death. Snoke fabricated increasingly elaborate and painful tortures and scenarios, all leaving Jacen begging for the darkness to overtake him entirely, for all of this to end._

 _But Snoke would no longer be patient._

 _And one memory kept playing in his memory in the few moments of gray, when Snoke was too busy dreaming up the pain he could cause, that haunted him. Princess Maia's death. Even though he knew it was Snoke he should be blaming, he felt such intense guilt he thought he'd die right then and there._

 _He kept reaching out to Jaina but couldn't feel her. She was blocked off._

* * *

Jaina's eyes flew open. Shortly after her conversation with her father, she passed out. She hadn't noticed the stinging pain, but did now. Still, she could sense where Jacen was.

 _Vjun_.

But there was something else. Jaina struggled to remember. Then, as a pretty red-haired Hapan attendant entered the medcenter, it came to her. Jacen had seen Maia die. The Princess of Hapes was dead, thanks to Snoke.

"Are you feeling alright?" the attendant asked.

"Where is the Supreme Leader?" Jaina asked. "Or Mum, I don't care, either of them'll do— where are they?"

"Sit down, calm yourself," the attendant said, smiling cheerily. "Everything will be alright."

Jaina swung her bandaged legs off of the medical bed, and tried to get up to her feet. "I need to see them now."

The woman approached, and clenched her hands firmly around Jaina's shoulders, pushing her back down flat onto the bed.

"Don't worry about it. They're going to get your brother," the attendant said.

"I know where he is! I know what happened to the princess!" Jaina cried. "The Queen needs to know!"

Something crystallized in the attendant's eyes as she pinned Jaina to the medical bed. Her fingernails dug into Jaina's shoulders, cutting through her standard-issue shirt, which was as thin as flimsi.

"You're right," she said. "The Queen does need to know."

She yanked Jaina to her feet, and Jaina just barely was able to summon her lightsaber into her hand.

"You won't need that," the attendant assured her. "The guards are very strong, and very brave."

"And they failed us," Jaina snarled. "They're the reason Princess Maia is dead!"

Her free hand went up to her mouth as soon as she said it. Even the hum of machines within the medcenter went silent. The attendant's hands only tightened so hard, Jaina cried out.

"The situation is graver than I believed," she snarled. "Come on."

* * *

Jaina was thrown into an ornate room. She cried out as she hit the ground, and sensed that Jacen, on Vjun, was being thrown to the ground himself. She forced herself onto her hands and knees, and saw her lightsaber a few feet away. She reached for it just as Queen-Mother Jocasta stepped forward in shimmering emerald skirts. She leaned down and picked up the metal cylinder.

"Give it back," Jaina ordered, wriggling her fingers towards her weapon.

"I do not think I will," Queen-Mother Jocasta said, as coolly as she pleased. She ignited the blade and stared at it for a moment. "Blue-violet. How quaint. Do you know the reputation purple lightsabers carry?"

"What?" Jaina felt as if her head were spinning.

"They say that those who carry purple are far closer to the dark than any other Jedi," Queen-Mother Jocasta said. "I've never cared for Jedi. Far too obsessed with their corrupt sense of justice and nobility to turn their attentions to the true problems in this galaxy."

"I don't understand, you called us here," Jaina said. "And what's this got to do with my lightsaber?"

"I suspected the boy would be too soft-hearted," Jocasta said, ignoring Jaina as she lightly crossed the room to an old-fashioned fireplace. "He would have to be, to love my fool of a granddaughter. Maia lacked any conviction, any strength. Hapes will be better off without her as an heir."

"You knew?"

Jocasta laughed. Jaina hated how lovely her laugh sounded. "Snoke informed me of such things. I did not care. Being the boy's consort would have given her some purpose beyond her childish studies of her Jedi Knights. You, on the other hand, you have ruthlessness in you. You may be impulsive, and still cling to romantic notions of everything, and there is your sappy views of love. But you have conviction, courage, and are practical."

"I don't understand," Jaina admitted.

"Oh, dear, I did believe you to be brighter than this," Jocasta drawled. "No matter. That makes things easier for me. Jacen, Snoke has decided, will not be the face of our dark Order. No, you will. And we already have a consort picked out for you."

"Consort?" Jaina could only hope, pray that she was wrong, even though she knew he was in their hands—

"Kyp Durron is of a suitably powerful line," Jocasta said. "He will make pretty, powerful heirs to the Skywalker dynasty. We attempted to retrieve him, to groom him for our purposes a long time ago. But the betrayers, the Knights of Ren, interfered."

"Kyp won't go along with your plans, and neither will I," Jaina said.

"Kyp was easy to manipulate, like all young pretty boys," Jocasta said. "And I'm sure he will be able to convince you where Maia failed to convince Jacen."

Jaina shook her head. "You underestimate me."

Jocasta appeared amused. "Do you look like you have anywhere to go, dear? You're trapped? Now be a good girl, so we can take you to your Kyp."

Jocasta reached to touch Jaina's face, and instantly, Jaina passed out.


	24. An Empire of Their Own

When Jaina awoke, she was in a completely new bed. It was one with an actual blanket over her sleeping form, in a room of some strange place, much darker than the medcenter. Her body ached, and her thoughts were sluggish.

 _How did I get here?_ She wondered lazily.

Then she sensed something dark and powerful, lurking in one of the shadowy corners of the room. She propped herself up on her elbows and drew her knees up to her chest. She hated that she was weaponless. But that didn't mean she was defenseless.

"Who's there?" She craned her neck up.

"Jaina? Jaina's it's okay."

Her blood ran cold as she recognized the voice. Into the dim light stepped Kyp Durron, dressed all in black, in regalia resembling her father's. There was something about his incredibly dark green eyes that was different. They were no longer warm or friendly. There was something as cold as the desert below in Upahatu in those emerald eyes.

"This is a trick," Jaina said, shaking her head. "Kyp, do you have my lightsaber?"

Kyp froze. "I can't let you have it yet."

Jaina arched an eyebrow. "Let me? Dammit, Kyp!"

"They said you were going to be a danger to—"

"To them," Jaina said. "Come on, Kyp, I know you're smarter than this. Don't you understand where we are, who's leading these people?"

Kyp's expression became icy. "They'll help me avenge my brother and parents. Get revenge on the Supreme Leader."

"Open your eyes, Kyp," she said. "Kylo Ren didn't do any of that."

"You're defending him?" Kyp cried. "Jaina, you know what evil he's brought—"

"He hasn't brought all evil," Jaina said. "I was wrong."

"Are you out of your mind?" Kyp asked. "Who told you this—"

"He did," Jaina said.

"And you believed him?" Kyp's voice was growing derisive. He threw her former words back in her face. "Come on, Jaina, I know you're smarter than this!"

"Things are different now," Jaina said.

"Jaina, what could possibly make anything different?" Kyp demanded. "He attacked your mother several times, he burned down my home, he leads an empire that murders and steals children!"

"And he's my father!" Jaina snapped. Her face inches from his.

Kyp flinched.

"He's my father, so I believe him when he says that he didn't do it!" Jaina said.

Kyp just stared at her blankly, as if he'd lost all reason. Something in his eyes shifted.

"Who killed my parents, then?" he demanded.

"Someone else," Jaina said. "These people, I think. Snoke's ghost is still around and he wanted you as a consort to—"

Kyp's cheeks flared red as a hand went to his mouth. "Oh my God."

"So, Kyp, I think you'll understand when I ask— where is my lightsaber?" Jaina said, gripping his wrist.

He pulled it out from a hidden pocket inside his robe. Jaina took it, and ignited it. The Queen-Mother had not, in fact, tampered with it. _Good. I'm coming, Jaysa._

It struck her how terrible it felt to be so alone. She had to repair the bond, she had to save her brother. She scrambled to her feet.

"Come on, Kyp," she said.

He looked up at her, his face suddenly blanched. "I don't think I can. I-I'm sorry, Jaina. I never should have said any of that to you, I don't understand what I was thinking—"

That was when Jaina kissed him. He blinked rapidly, and she grinned, resembling Han Solo quite a bit.

"I forgive you," she said. "Dark side, got it. Now we gotta go. Will you help me make this right?"

He took her hand. "Always."


	25. Vader's Castle

When Jacen finally left the gray in-between place, he was in a tank of bacta. In the translucent blue fluid, he was left in the medical swimsuit and with a breathing tube. Didn't stop him from panicking.

He could feel Snoke's presence, right outside the glass, and knew that he could reach in and touch him. He was a ghost. He could do whatever he wanted, damn the consequences.

And yet. . .

For the first time since Snoke had started showing up in their dreams, he felt his connection to Jaina, stronger and brighter than ever. Then he realized why. She was there, on Vjun!

 _Jaina—_

Then the connection cut again, and Snoke laughed. The cruel sound echoed in Jacen's ears, as his neck went cold.

"Your sister is here," Snoke murmured. "Excellent. This is only the beginning."

Jacen struggled in the bacta tank, but he was only thrashing about in liquid. He couldn't even talk. His heart raced. _No, no, not my sister, leave her alone, do whatever you want to me, but don't hurt Jaina!_

"Your loyalty to your sister is admirable, Solo," Snoke said. "It will make you and your sisters excellent soldiers. With you and Kyp Durron leading the charge, Vader's cause will be unstoppable!"

Jacen felt some light within trying to break into his brain, but it wasn't Jaina. He knew their connection instinctively. He wanted to fight whatever wanted it, but he remembered what Rey told him.

 _Breathe. . . Just breathe._

When his eyes flashed open again, both he and Snoke were astonished.

In front of Snoke stood the translucent blue figure of Anakin Skywalker.

"This is not my cause," Anakin snarled.

* * *

Kyp kept a tight grip on Jaina's arm, as he tried to look like the darkness-consumed boy he was only a few minutes prior. Already, he wondered how he could have ever been so out of his damn mind. It made no sense.

He wondered if Kylo Ren had felt like that, at a time. If the people Snoke recruited to burn down his home felt that way. For the first time since the fire, he realized that he had empathy for the ones who did it. They were no longer monsters in the night, mere phantoms of a childhood.

"Whoa, where are you going, Durron?" An Acolyte in black stopped him.

Kyp forced Jaina to step forward a little. "I need to take the prisoner to Snoke. She's proved to be. . . Insolent. Un-compliant, that is, to the Supreme Leader's wishes."

Right on cue, Jaina thrashed just enough to look like she really was trying to escape, but not enough to really hurt Kyp.

 _Focus, Durron!_ He had to mentally remind himself to not think about his infatuation towards Jaina Solo.

"Don't get yourself into trouble, Durron," said the Acolyte, flinching as Jaina thrashed about.

"I won't," he replied evenly. He put his free hand on his lightsaber, and Jaina went stiff at the same time as the Acolyte. "Come on."

As soon as they were in a hallway, Jaina leaned into his ear. "That was close."

"Tell me about it." Yet Kyp had a hard time wiping the grin from his face. He knew he shouldn't have been smiling. He knew this wasn't going to work. He was terrified. . . Yet. . .

"Keep it together!" Jaina hissed as they heard footsteps clack down the hallway.

They managed to ascend a staircase before entering the chamber that used to be Vader's medcenter.

* * *

Jacen watched, helplessly, as Anakin and Snoke began fighting, in some weird Force-thing. At the same time, the blast doors slid open, and Jaina and Kyp ran in, lightsabers a-blazing.

With a single gesture, Jaina shattered the glass. Jacen freed himself from his mask, and Jaina tossed to him her lightsaber. Kyp pulled a blaster off of his person and threw it to Jaina.

The indigo blade had a foreign element to it, Jacen could feel it. But he could overlook that.

"What's the plan now?" Jacen nodded towards the Force-Ghosts locked in battle.

"Run," Kyp said.


	26. Stardust

Rey, Ben, and a mixture of the Knights of Ren and the Gray Order of the Jedi Knights burst through the front door of Vader's old Vjun castle. Their clothes were singed and hole-ridden from running through the acidic rain, but that made them all properly angry and ready to kick ass.

Several people in ragged black robes with masks turned, drawing their weapons on the intruders. Rey ignited her double-bladed lightsaber, and didn't even need to look at Ben. The Battle was like a dance, and they were ready to win it.

"Follow my lead," Rey said. At once, the Acolytes of the Beyond rushed at the combined Knights, and the sabers spiralled into wild colorful arcs of kicking, hitting, and slashing.

She and Ben slashed through them as if it were a foxtrot, waltz, or tango, rather than the battlefield for their children's souls. With the adrenaline pumping through her veins, Rey was reminded of the first time she and Ben had ever teamed up.

That was when she knew in the deepest part of her soul that Luke was wrong about Ben. How could something Luke thought was wrong have felt so right?

This. . . This was more natural to her than breathing, fighting alongside Ben. She knew he felt it too. They were a planet and moon in orbit to each other, and they had come together in an eclipse.

Too quickly, the fight was over. Their combined Knights were masters with lightsabers. As the adrenaline wore off and Rey peeled the masks off of the corpses, she realized that the Acolytes couldn't have been. Most of them looked to be scared teenagers or young adults, fools who had been given powers through the mask that couldn't handle it.

She could sense Ben's empathy, his sense of tragedy. After all, Snoke had used and discarded him, too, like those poor people.

"We'll build a funeral pyre for them," Rey said. "They deserve a Jedi death."

Sorscha Martigan scoffed. "They're enemies of the Jedi."

"That might be," Rey admitted. "But they're victims of Snoke, too. They deserve our empathy and mercy."

Siri Tachi nodded, her expression serious. Sorscha bit her lip, unsure of what she was seeing.

"But we've got bigger problems," Rey said, standing up. "We need to find the kids, and fast."

That was when Freya D'Arctan stumbled backwards out of a hallway, lightsaber in hand. A blaster bolt grazed her shoulder, and she just barely hit the balcony railing of the floor above in the entryway.

Jaina stepped out, her aim steady and her expression scrunched up, just like Rey's when she fired a gun.

Following her was Jacen in a swimsuit that barely covered more than underwear, carrying a lightsaber, and Kyp wearing the Acolyte uniform and wielding his own saber.

"Please! I'm sorry!" Freya cried, dropping her saber. "I'm sorry Maia died!"

Something dark flared in Jacen's eyes, and Rey knew what kind of path that Jacen was on. Even Jaina faltered, as if she knew what Jacen was thinking.

Rey exchanged a glance with Ben, and they raced up the staircase. But they were moving too slow, as Jacen stepped forward and swung—

Then he stopped, frozen. Freya looked to see Ben's outstretched hand, as he struggled to keep his son in place.

Jaina reached out to turn off her lightsaber and put it on her belt.

Ben let go of Jacen as he and Rey finished running up the stairs. A Knight of Ren followed them, holding the electronic cuffs that the First Order used. Jacen dropped to his knees, eyes wide, as he realized what he'd almost done.

"I'm no better than him," he whispered.

Rey grabbed her cloak and draped it over her son as Ben handcuffed Freya D'Arctan.

"It's okay, Jacen," she whispered. "Everything is going to be okay."

She then looked up to her daughter and apprentice.

"Where's Snoke?" Rey asked.

"In Vader's old bacta chamber," Jaina said. "Fighting Anakin's ghost."

Rey blinked. That hadn't quite been what Rey had expected. But it didn't phase her, perhaps as much as it should have.

She stood up. "Stay here."

But before she could go, Ben grabbed her by the shoulder. "No, we can't face him alone."

Rey burst out of his grip. "He threatened our children. I'll kill that ghost myself, I'll find a way—"

"We need to get the twins out of here, and into the Imperial Palace on Deyer," Ben said in a low voice. "Where they can be far away from Snoke's reach, and can recover from all of this. So we can all try again."

"The longer we put this off, the stronger Snoke will get and the more people he will hurt," Rey snarled. "We have to fight him! We have to kill him!"

Her anger was like a tempest, building unnaturally high and fast. She felt angrier than she ever had, all ideals forgotten. She was so angry she couldn't think straight.

Ben frowned, and his dark brown eyes widened. "Rey, I'm sorry about this."

She snarled at him, and he grabbed her around her waist, before using the Force to cause her to pass out. He swept her into a bridal carry, and looked to his children.

"We need to get out of here, now," he said. "Snoke is manipulating all of us."


	27. The Imperial Palace

Jaina sat outside of the door to her brother's room. He had locked himself in there ever since they had arrived. He had shut her out of the bond after he tried to kill Freya.

She hadn't even visited her room yet. Not that her father noticed. He was waiting for her mother to wake up in the medcenter. Yet she sat out here, waiting for her brother.

But she was realizing the time to wait was over.

"Jaysa?" She called out the childhood nickname.

There was no response.

"Jaysa, stop shutting me out," she said, the unfallen tears stinging her eyes. "Please. I want to talk about what happened, I don't want you to be alone. Please, let me in. I can take it."

Nothing happened.

Jaina got up, whirled around, and pounded on the door. "Open the kriff up, Jacen! I'm tired of putting up with your bantha poodoo!"

She leaned against the door, listening for any signs of inhabitation on Jacen's behalf.

The door slid open, and she fell in. She immediately scrambled to her feet to see Jacen standing over her, in loose white pajamas with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a poncho.

"I missed you," Jaina said.

"I needed to be on my own," Jacen said.

"Can we at least talk about this?" Jaina asked.

Jacen shrugged. "You're here."

Jaina took that as the most welcome invitation that she would get, and she went past Jacen into his room. The place resembled perfectly his mental state. Blankets and pillows were tossed everywhere, with the curtains set to maximum darkness, with the lights turned off. As Jaina's eyes adjusted, she realized the only source of light within the room was Jacen's datapad hooked up to the wall next to his bed.

She sat on his bed, and he reluctantly took a place beside her as the door closed, locking them in shadow. They sat there for a moment, as Jaina screwed her courage to the sticking place.

"I want to help you."

"I know." He looked guilty, saying it. Jaina waited patiently, and he swallowed thickly. "I don't know if anyone can help."

Jaina raised her eyebrows in an infuriatingly-sisterly expression.

Jacen sighed. "I can't sleep, Jaina, but I don't want to be awake. I don't even want to think right now. All I can see is Maia, and how she died. She died because I tried to tell Snoke no. It's my fault she died."

"Hey, hey, it is not your fault," Jaina said. "The Queen-Mother Jocasta and Snoke were planning to use her. You were trying to get both of you out. Maia couldn't have gone back home after it was over. It wasn't your fault. You didn't know, and you didn't kill her."

Jacen swiped at the tears gathering on his cheeks. "I hate him for doing that. For threatening you and killing her. I don't hate him for torturing me. Does that make any sense?"

"I think so." Jaina lied.

She embraced her brother.

"And he was manipulating me when Freya—" he stopped, because he wanted to cry so badly that he couldn't breathe. "What if he follows us, Jaya?"

He sounded so small, like a toddler afraid of the dark.

"Then I'll kill him." Jaina was never more sure of anything in her life. "He hurt Dad, Mum, you, Tash, Kyp, Maia— nearly everyone we know. He killed Elora, and started this whole kriffing war. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure Snoke will never hurt anyone again."


	28. Forgotten Lore

"Rey?"

She had only heard that voice once before, in a nightmare, in a dream. It belonged to an old man who had spoken to her when she awakened to the Skywalker lightsaber, a man she later learned to be Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"What happened?" She looked around, and she stood in water, that reflected the stars all around. It was an infinite mass of stars, and it felt endless. Yet the water didn't feel wet, or like anything at all. "Am I dead?"

"No." Kenobi laughed, like a grandfatherly figure. "My namesake took you away from the fight, so Snoke couldn't influence any of you."

"I never felt so angry in my life," Rey recalled. "But I just thought it was motherly rage, you know? Like the kind that gets ordinary women to lift swoop bikes off of their babies."

"That didn't help anything," Kenobi said. "But Snoke was influencing what was already there, magnifying it to dangerous levels."

"So what do we do?" Rey asked.

"I'll show you," Kenobi said. "You can strip away his ability to alter the Force."

"Even as a ghost?" Rey raised her eyebrows. "I've never heard of that ability."

"Never has the Otherworld had to share that ability," Kenobi said. "Listen carefully, for this will save you, my namesake, and your children."

* * *

"That's it?" Rey said when he was done. "It was that simple?"

"I suppose so," Kenobi said. "But it requires a lot of power. You may need the help of young Ben and Jacen and Jaina and Kyp Durron. Even Tash Arranda may be needed."

"No," Rey said. "I'll risk myself, I'll risk Ben, but not any of the kids. They don't deserve any of this."

"They don't," Kenobj agreed. "But deserve and need don't always go hand in hand."

"I suppose not," Rey muttered. "Is there anything else you can offer me, any premonitions or anything?"

"He can't, but I can."

Rey turned to see Leia. But not as General Organa, when she knew her. As Princess Leia, young and strong, looking as she did when she won the Battle of Endor. Triumphant, wise, confident.

Rey's throat tightened. "I've missed you so much."

"As have I," Leia said. "You know, you could've summoned me earlier. Would've caused a lot less trouble."

"What do you mean?" Rey asked.

Leia rolled her eyes and slapped her hand to her forehead. "Your tryst with my son. You could have just summoned my Force Ghost and asked for my blessing. I would've told you to go with him, at least for your children."

"Really?" Rey was astonished. "You made me promise I'd die trying to restore democracy to the galaxy!"

"I didn't know you were hooking up with my son, or that you'd get knocked up after I died!" Leia protested. "How was I supposed to know that? If I had, I would've told you that the second you knew they were his to go to him! Change the First Order from within!"

"That would've been helpful seventeen years ago," Rey said.

"I suppose so," Leia said. "But the Jedi Order has grown. Luke always dreamed of having one like yours. And the Resistance has survived for twenty-eight years! You've done great things, Rey. I just need you to have courage and do one more. But you won't be alone."

"I won't be alone," Rey repeated. She blinked, tears stinging her eyes. "I'm not alone anymore."

Leia took Rey's hands into hers. "You have friends like Finn, Rose, and Poe. You have Ben, who loves you. Han, Luke, and I have always loved you like you were our daughter. You have children who look up to you. You have a family, Rey."

Rey wept from joy, at the revelation that shattered the very foundation of her world.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Leia said. "Be brave, Rey, one last time."

* * *

Rey sat up straight, inhaling deeply.

"Rey!"

Ben embraced her, his presence surrounding her in the Force until they felt as if they were one entity, never to separate.

"Ben," she said.

They broke apart as he read her face. "We have to try again, don't we?"

"And we'll need the kids," Rey said.


	29. All For One

"So we're going back to Snoke to see if we can restrict his Force-access?" Kyp asked. He looked to Jacen and Jaina. "And we all have to go?"

"Stop being such a kriffing coward," Jaina said. "Jacen agreed to go back."

"Very, very reluctantly," Jacen said pointedly.

"Hey, I didn't say that I wouldn't!" Kyp protested.

"Well, screw your courage to the sticking place," Jaina said. "We're never going to be rid of Snoke if we don't believe in ourselves!"

"That is oddly optimistic for essentially murdering a ghost," Ben pointed it out.

"I thought we weren't killing it," Kyp said, eyes wide. He was twitching a little, just glancing at the former Kylo Ren. "You guys said we're stripping it of its powers."

"It's a ghost who's purely Force-powers," Ben said. "End that, and Snoke will die. I'm not going to lose any sleep over that."

"I don't think it will, that's not how Kenobi described it," Rey said. There was something strange about her mother's Force aura, Jaina noticed. Being temporarily in the Otherworld had left some mark that was barely there.

"Look, Kyp, we're just going to save the galaxy from Snoke's Force ghost, whatever that means," Jaina said. "Are you in?"

Kyp didn't even hesitate. "Absolutely." He was silent for a moment. "Although I am very, very reluctant about it."

"As long as we're in it together," Rey said. "That's what's most important."

"So it's not just you five, then?"

Everyone swiveled their heads. Siri Tachi stood there, with all of the mixed Knights of Ren and Gray Order, sans Sorscha Martigan and a few others.

Rey rose to her feet. "Siri, no. I couldn't ask this of you. It's too dangerous."

"Master Skywalker, I'd follow you anywhere," Siri said. "I'd serve any cause you deem worthy. You know that by now."

Rey sighed uncomfortably. "I guess I can't stop you, Siri."

"That's right." Siri was smug.

"Well, I command the Knights of Ren to sit this one out," Ben said. "This is the end of the line. I've asked a lot of you. . . But this is too much."

"Like hells we're sitting this out!" A tall woman with a freckled face and almond eyes snarled.

"Yeah," said a curly-haired male Knight of Ren. "Ben, we've been through hell and back and gone to the dark side for you. We know Snoke. He kriffed up all of our lives. You think we don't want some vengeance?"

"Marek, no, stand down," Ben said, shifting uncomfortably.

Marek and the woman, Lara, looked at each other and rolled their eyes. A dark-haired woman with green skin, also in Knights of Ren clothing, sighed.

"He's always like this," she said to a perturbed Jedi Knight.

"I- I don't know what to say," Rey admitted.

"You always taught us to say thank you," Jaina said, standing up. "I guess we should get going then. We've got an army, and we know where Snoke is. . . I say we go after Snoke!"


	30. Gravity

Jacen could feel it as soon as they touched down again in the castle on Vjun. Death. So many had died in that castle, the Acolytes of the Beyond and innocents like Maia. There were more than just her.

Who had come before him? He could feel the spirits of the dead. They were everywhere, in Jacen's skin.

Then he felt a small, reassuring presence, like a single star on a pitch-black night. It was small, but so bright that it made all the difference. Jacen glanced over his shoulder just as Jaina touched her fingers to it in reassurance. Her smile was pure courage. He knew she was just as scared as he was.

She looked to Kyp, who she linked elbows with. He gave a grim sort of smile, the smile that Jacen realized he might have given his brother the last time he saw him.

"This is it," Rey said. "Let's try to make this our one shot."

Jacen nodded, feeling his father's gaze upon him. Kylo Ren was his father, and Kylo seemed to care about his ordeal. It was unreal. The villain was a victim of the real monster.

Ben looked to Jacen, and pulled something out of his robes. A long cylinder.

"This was mine, a long time ago," Ben said. "Stay safe."

Jacen accepted it. The structure was very similar to Ben's own, but was more polished. He looked up to his father's face. He could see some similarities— he had his father's nose and eyes, and freckles.

"Thanks."

Ben nodded, as if he knew that the word meant so much more than just gratitude for the weapon. It was a promise, that Jacen would try to figure out how to be a son to him, as Ben figured out how to be a father.

A rainbow to come after the thunderstorm. The armistice ball after two decades of civil war.

The mixed group of Knights entered the main hallway of the castle. Already, all of the bodies had been cleaned up. There was no reminder of what had come before.

"Creepy," Marek Ren murmured.

Then Jacen felt it. "He's here, in this room."

"I feel it too," Ben assured his son, closing his eyes. Turmoil showed on his features, turmoil mixed with hatred.

"Show yourself!" Jaina ignited her lightsaber, blazing in the Force.

Snoke's laughter filled the chamber. Jacen's eyes darted around, trying to figure out the origin. But he was everywhere and nowhere, all at the same time.

"Little child, you are the Sword of the Jedi, aren't you?" Snoke's voice crooned. "Yes. I can sense the echoes of another world. You would have been knighted by Luke himself. What is it he said?"

"Luke?" Jaina glanced at Jacen.

"Don't listen to him, it's all sithspit," Jacen snarled, still looking around for the former Supreme Leader.

"You are a blazing fire, and all your friends will stand in your shadow," Snoke said. "Ah, yes. How does it feel to be alone, young Solo?"

Jaina opened her mouth to speak, and then looked as if she'd been punched in the stomach. She reached her free hand to her heart. Jacen suddenly felt an absence of his sister, in the Force. The fear came creeping in. . . He was going to separate them again.

Then Jaina raised her lightsaber, grip tight as she clenched both hands to it. She looked eerily like her father in that moment. Yet there was her mother's wisdom shining though, along with her father's tenacity.

"I'm never alone."

There was a flicker, and the Jedi took the opportunity. Jacen willed himself to see beyond the illusion being projected. He blinked, and there he was. The translucent Red figure of the Supreme Leader, towering above them all.

"I'm still not afraid," Jaina snarled.

Lie, Jacen thought.

That was when Lara Ren went flying into the air. Other Knights flew into the air, and were being slammed against the metal walls of the Vjun Castle.

"Put them down!" Rey reached out, gently descending Lara, and several other Knights that had been levitated.

"Focus, everyone!" Ben's voice rose above Snoke's. "Remember the plan!"

"Ah, Kylo Ren. . . once my greatest Apprentice, and now my greatest failure," Snoke said.

Ben's hand formed a claw, and Jacen could feel it— Ben was continuing the plan. They had to go now, before Snoke could fight back.

Jaina and Jacen shot their hands out at the same time, focusing on connecting with the Force, and Snoke's presence. Jacen gasped— he could physically feel it, like old paper. He didn't want to think about what else he could be feeling.

One by one, hands shot into the air. Jacen started tightening his grip, trying to rip that presence. He could feel Snoke resisting, could hear him trying to plead with them, but the words were just white noise. Then he heard it.

"I could bring her back! I could do what Plagueis could! What Vader never could!"

"No."

Jacen's voice was small, but defiant, and he let his rage inflame him, consume him, all in one goal. He screamed, unconsciously reaching out for Jaina, for the energy. Then it happened.

* * *

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

When Snoke's ghost died, a dark energy burst around the room, reverberating across the walls. Jacen was flung on his back, knocked unconscious. The last thing he heard was Princess Maia's voice.

 _Stand firm._


	31. Sun and Moon

It was the happiest day of Rey's life. So much had changed within the month. Shortly after the return from Vjun, the mixed Knights arrived on Hapes, with evidence to arrest Queen-Mother Jocasta. The trials and line of succession were the main galactic issue left unresolved, but at least the Second Galactic Civil War had ended.

The galaxy would always have a Supreme Leader. But he would always have a Senate to temper him. There were still plenty of things to think over, but the guidelines were in place. There was a skeleton to work with.

Rey remembered the day that the leaders of the Resistance, herself included, and Ben had signed that document. Standing beneath a crystal spire, as the light stood still directly over the document, not a sound could be heard. The entire galaxy held its breath, from across the HoloNet.

Ben was the last to sign, Rey remembered. But he didn't hesitate. As soon as he was directed where he would sign, as Emperor, of this new Alliance, he signed, in the most beautiful Aubresh signature that Rey had ever seen.

"Rey, do you need help with the dress?"

Rose approached, dressed in her maid-of-honor gown— a bold red as a reminder of the rebellion, and of the great victory.

"Thanks, Rose," Rey said, as her closest friend helped lace up her dress. "I don't recall why I picked something so. . .strappy."

"Because Jaina, Siri, and I talked you into it," Rose said calmly. "How are you feeling, by the way? Because I remember when Finn and I had our little ceremony, when we knew Saoirse was on the way—"

"I'm fine, thanks," Rey said.

It was her wedding day, at long last. After twenty years, everything was finally as it should be. In a few moments, Rey would walk down the aisle. Saoirse Stormbreaker would spread flower petals, a Naboo custom. Her daughter and son would watch as their parents were finally married, for the entire galaxy to see.

The Knights of Ren would wear Jedi garb, for the first time in twenty years. While some extremists, like Sorscha Martigan, split off, most were happy to keep Rey in charge and to let the prodigal Knights come home.

"What will you do now?" Rey asked. "Now that the war is over."

"Finn's going to be a politician with Poe, help set up the new government," Rose said. "As for me. . . I think I'll spend more time with Saoirse. Be a real mother. Maybe I'll get a falthier."

"Or seven," Rey teased.

"At least one, and call it Paige," Rose said. "After that. . . I don't know. I've never lived without the Empire. I can't wait to find out what it's like."

"You aren't afraid?" Rey asked.

"I'm always afraid," Rose admitted. "But I try to keep going anyway. If you're nervous about the wedding, I have a back exit plan—"

"Nice try," Rey said. She looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm just not sure what I'll be when all the fighting is done. I was no one before the war, Rose. I don't want to be no one again."

"You aren't," Rose said. "You're a teacher to the Jedi, a leader, a mother to the twins, and most importantly, you're our friend. My friend. That won't change, now or ever."

"Thank you." Rey hugged Rose.

There came a hesitant tap. "Come in."

Jaina peeked her head in. "Um, I think Ky- Dad, is getting a bit antsy. Thinks you might ditch him, since the ceremony's supposed to start now."

"I'll be there in a moment," Rey promised.

Jaina smiled and withdrew. Most likely to be with Kyp Durron. Rey thought that her daughter and protege would make quite the pair. As for Jacen. . . She still didn't know everything that had happened when he was captured in the Vjun Castle. But he would recover, she was sure of that.

Rey stood, and followed Rose out into a new world.


End file.
